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Gaza peace council signs first construction contract amid ongoing stalemate
🇸🇪 Sweden /Energy & Infrastructure

Gaza peace council signs first construction contract amid ongoing stalemate

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • A peace council established to oversee Gaza's reconstruction has signed its first construction contract, a modest step forward in a long-standing stalemate.
  • The contract, awarded to an American company, is for a military outpost to house Moroccan soldiers as part of an international stabilization force.
  • Progress on Gaza's reconstruction is overshadowed by broader geopolitical conflicts, with few points of a proposed 20-point peace plan having been implemented.

A peace council tasked with rebuilding Gaza has signed its first construction contract, marking a small advance in a seemingly intractable conflict. The contract, awarded to an American firm, is for a military outpost intended to house 150 Moroccan soldiers who will be part of an international stabilization force.

A modest step forward in what has long seemed to be a stalemate.

— Isabell SchierenbeckProfessor at the University of Gothenburg, commenting on the first construction contract signed by the peace council.

Isabell Schierenbeck, a professor at the University of Gothenburg, described the contract as a "modest step forward." She acknowledged the immense complexity of the situation, noting that the contract is a "small step towards the stabilization force eventually being in place." However, she added that "longer than that, one has not come."

The development in Gaza has been overshadowed by larger geopolitical events, including the U.S.-led conflict with Iran. Many points from a 20-point peace plan, presented by Donald Trump in October 2025, remain unfulfilled. No international force is yet on the ground, Hamas has not been disarmed, and Israel has continued bombing Gaza, resulting in over 1,200 deaths during the ceasefire. Israel has also expanded its control over Gaza's territory beyond the agreed-upon limits.

Longer than that, one has not come. I had not expected it either. The situation is enormously complex. The construction contract is, after all, a small step towards the stabilization force eventually being in place.

— Isabell SchierenbeckProfessor at the University of Gothenburg, describing the limited progress on Gaza's reconstruction.

Despite these challenges, the Gaza executive board, led by experienced diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, is operational. Schierenbeck expressed cautious optimism about Mladenov's leadership, citing his strong international reputation and good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian parties. However, Mladenov faces significant hurdles, including the U.S. conflict with Iran, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel's actions in Lebanon, which have consumed diplomatic resources.

Had Gaza continued to be the focus of the US and the world, one would probably have gotten further.

— Isabell SchierenbeckProfessor at the University of Gothenburg, explaining why progress on Gaza's reconstruction has been slow.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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