CIAO DATE: 02/2015
February 2015
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Over five months after last summer's Gaza conflict ended, reconstruction of the territory has effectively ground to a halt, with the UN-designed postwar framework failing to move beyond its first phase. While recent statements by some international officials have put the onus on the donor community for failing to deliver on pledges, the reality is that continued divisions between Hamas and Fatah are the primary obstacle. According to the deal reached at war's end, the prerequisite for any wide-ranging reconstruction was the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority returning to Gaza. The PA has shown no inclination to make good on its commitments, however, and Hamas has yet to relinquish real authority over the territory. With the two factions at a stalemate (see "Gaza's Explosion Waiting to Happen," Politico) and the dire economic conditions that led to the war still in place, many believe that it is only a matter of time before another explosion erupts in Gaza.
Resource link: Gaza Reconstruction Stalled by Fatah-Hamas Deadlock [PDF] - 1