A Gazan minister responds to new reconstruction proposals, 4 September 2025

On 4 September 2025 we hosted an online discussion with H. E. Mr. Sharhabeel Al-Zaeem, the Palestinian Authority Justice Minister, to hear his response to developments in ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Participants included senior diplomats, representatives from France and the Northern Irish Assembly, and legal and medical experts.

The discussion focused on the newly published Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation (GREAT) Trust plan, which would place Gaza under US-led trusteeship for at least ten years and dispossess a quarter of its population overseas. The session raised concerns that this and other plans were top-down, stripped Palestinians of agency, denied Palestinian sovereignty, and disregarded their future aspirations.

Participants also highlighted that an alternative is already on the table: a plan endorsed by Palestinian factions and the Arab League. The Minister, who has lived in Gaza, described it as a credible path towards long-term stability and security.

Beyond reconstruction, participants addressed immediate humanitarian and political challenges. These included reported starvation in Gaza, fears of West Bank annexation which violate international law, and the urgent need for accountability under international law for those responsible for violence.

Minister Al-Zaeem closed with a clear message: that including Palestinian voices is the best way to realise their aspiration of living peacefully alongside their neighbours.