The Trump-backed Palestinian who wants to push Gaza's rubble into the sea |
By Rami Ayyub and Nidal al-Mughrabi
JERUSALEM/CAIRO, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Ali Shaath, the Palestinian former government official chosen to administer Gaza under a U.S.-backed deal, has an ambitious plan that includes pushing war debris into the Mediterranean Sea and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure within three years.
The appointment of the civil engineer and former deputy planning minister on Thursday marked the start of the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end Israel's war in Gaza.
Shaath will chair a group of 15 Palestinian technocrats tasked with governing the Palestinian enclave after years of rule by Hamas militants.
Under Trump's plan, Israel has withdrawn from nearly half of Gaza but its troops remain in control of the other half, a wasteland where nearly all buildings have been destroyed. Trump has floated turning Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East".
Shaath will face the uncertain task of rebuilding the territory's shattered infrastructure and clearing an estimated 68 million tonnes of rubble and unexploded ordnance even as Israel and Hamas continue to trade fire.
After past rounds of fighting with Israel, Palestinians in Gaza used war rubble as foundational........