Ali Shaath, a Palestinian civil engineer and former deputy planning minister, has been appointed to administer Gaza under a US-backed initiative aimed at ending Israel’s conflict in the enclave. Shaath will chair a 15-member committee of Palestinian technocrats tasked with overseeing governance, reconstruction, and relief efforts.
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Born in 1958 in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Shaath holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University Belfast. He previously served in the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, where he oversaw the development of industrial zones in Gaza and the West Bank.
Ali Shaath, the former Palestinian official chosen to administer Gaza under a US-backed deal, says he has an ambitious plan for the enclave that includes pushing war rubble into the Mediterranean Sea to reclaim land and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure within three years.… pic.twitter.com/oyUS4LEslz
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 15, 2026
Under the plan, Israel has withdrawn from nearly half of Gaza, although troops remain in other areas. Shaath faces the daunting task of rebuilding infrastructure and clearing an estimated 68 million tonnes of war debris and unexploded ordnance, even as clashes between Hamas and Israel continue.
In a recent radio interview, Shaath proposed pushing rubble into the Mediterranean to create new land while clearing the debris. He said his immediate focus would be providing temporary housing for displaced residents, followed by restoring essential infrastructure and rebuilding homes. Shaath optimistically projected that Gaza could be fully rehabilitated and improved within seven years — a timeline much shorter than UN estimates, which suggest reconstruction could take until at least 2040.
Shaath’s committee will initially operate in Hamas-controlled areas and gradually expand its authority as Israeli forces withdraw. He emphasized that the committee’s jurisdiction would eventually cover the entire 365-square-kilometre Gaza Strip.
The appointment has received dual endorsement from Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas official Bassem Naim called on the international community to empower the committee, while Abbas described it as a transitional body linking Gaza and West Bank institutions, aiming to avoid further administrative and security division.
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Shaath’s ambitious plans mark a critical phase in Trump’s proposed strategy to stabilize Gaza, but practical challenges — including ongoing hostilities, disarmament negotiations, and restricted entry of heavy machinery — remain significant hurdles.