WASHINGTON — The last Israeli hostage has been brought home, marking the beginning of the challenging task of rebuilding Gaza, according to U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
“Now it’s really starting to happen. With the hostages back, progress should accelerate,” he mentioned. “Honestly, Israelis were hesitant to invest in Gaza’s future until they felt Hamas was fully held accountable for the hostages.”
On January 26, Israel returned the body of Ran Gviri, an Israeli police officer killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Huckabee emphasized that this final return signals that Gaza is about to enter a tough and lengthy recovery phase, as the region emerges from years of devastation.
“This isn’t going to happen overnight,” he advised. “It’s going to be a process. People will transition from very dangerous areas to safer zones. We’ll see housing developments and the restoration of public facilities.”
The initial phase now includes the delivery of supplies and setting up prefabricated homes, enabling residents to begin anew and envision a future in Gaza, Huckabee said.
“Access to housing, as well as basic utilities, will be crucial as we aim to rebuild society from the debris of a protracted conflict,” he stated.
“Rebuild from scratch”
Huckabee warned that the extent of the destruction might prolong the rebuilding efforts, which will require substantial global support and funding.
“We’re looking at years of work,” he remarked. “It could take two to three years, or maybe even ten. Much relies on the willingness of other nations to step up.”
A governing board composed of proficient technocrats will oversee Gaza’s reconstruction to address the infrastructure issues effectively.
“This requires serious effort,” Huckabee explained. “We need to fix electricity, water, sewage, roads, and communications. These aren’t political hires; they’re skilled individuals who know how to get the job done.”
Most of these professionals are expected to come from neighboring Arab and Islamic countries and will be selected based on expertise rather than politics.
“When you’re rebuilding from scratch, gathering capable individuals is essential,” Huckabee noted. “We need specialists in infrastructure like sewer systems and power grids.”
The reconstruction efforts will fall under the Trump administration’s International Peace Commission, which focuses on securing funding and establishing standards. Currently, 25 countries are involved, although EU nations have refrained from participating.
“It’s somewhat ironic that those most critical of Israel’s humanitarian efforts are the least likely to participate now,” Huckabee said. “Many have voiced concerns, yet when it comes to action, they fall short.”
The central task for the commission is to prevent Hamas and similar extremist groups from infiltrating the rebuilding process through various channels, including aid organizations and contractors.
“We must ensure that those involved in the rebuilding don’t have ties to terrorism,” he emphasized. “Israel has faced too much to take risks.”
Besides restoring infrastructure, Huckabee stressed the need for a substantial overhaul of Gaza’s educational system, which has perpetuated animosity for many years.
“We need to reshape education so it no longer promotes hatred or violence,” he remarked. “This has tainted the curriculum in Gaza for decades. It simply can’t continue.”
Brighter future
Looking ahead, Huckabee cited Jared Kushner’s ambitious plans to transform Gaza into a vibrant economic and tourist destination along the Mediterranean, noting that investor interest is growing as stability improves.
“People once dismissed that vision,” Huckabee said, “but the circumstances have changed significantly compared to a month ago. In a year, we could find ourselves in a much improved situation.”
He indicated that Gaza’s downfall seemed inevitable, especially since it could have become a success story long ago if Hamas hadn’t taken control.
“Gaza could have been akin to Singapore,” Huckabee asserted. “But instead, we see a situation reminiscent of Haiti.”
He highlighted that while Gaza is small, it has been severely impacted by an extensive underground network of terrorist infrastructure.
“The entire area is about the size of Las Vegas,” Huckabee noted, “but beneath it lies over 500 miles of tunnels, more expansive than those of London. They aren’t designed for civilian use, but rather for facilitating terrorist activities and hiding hostages.”
Much of this tunnel network has been obliterated in the conflict, along with most structures outside of Gaza City, complicating the reconstruction process immensely.
“We’re essentially starting from the ground up after a war that dragged on for far too long,” Huckabee reiterated, attributing the war’s duration primarily to Hamas’s actions.
“Let’s not forget why this conflict persisted. The reason was that Hamas kept hostages captive, subjecting them to brutal treatment,” he stressed.
With the hostages now safe at home, Huckabee expressed optimism that Gaza’s rebuilding efforts are finally on the right path.
“It’s an enormous task,” he acknowledged. “However, we are in a better situation than we were last week, two weeks ago, or even a month ago. We are moving forward.”
