Who will pay the huge bill pay for Gaza to be rebuilt?

Donald Trump has declared peace in the Middle East, but what happens next is not so clear

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Two weeks ago, a US-brokered ceasefire agreement came into effect in Gaza with Donald Trump declaring peace in the Middle East.

A fortnight on and the armistice, though fragile, remains in place. Senior Trump administration officials have been keen to eulogise the merits of the president's gilded Pax Americana, while rushing to Israel this week to ensure it holds.

But as Hamas, Israel and the United States work through the finer details of the agreement, the futures of millions of people still remain unclear.

In the immediate future, the priority will be to bring aid into Gaza, as well as the basic infrastructure needed for power, the desalination of water, and the running of public services. Only then can the wider challenge of rebuilding begin in earnest.

The task is enormous, with an estimated 10 per cent of the population having been either killed or injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry, and some 90 per cent of homes estimated to have been damaged or destroyed.

But as he left Israel on Thursday this week, US Vice President JD Vance was optimistic about the timeline. Palestinians could begin again in a “Hamas-free zone” within a matter of months, he said, and claimed Rafah could be rebuilt in “two to three years”.

Who will rebuild Gaza?

Gaza's economy is in ruins. Its government – until now responsible for some 30,000 civil servants - is due to disarm and release its grip on power under a proposal set out by Trump and partially agreed by Hamas. Efforts to rebuild will require years, if not decades, of steady support from external stakeholders.