The ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile as Israeli calls to resume the genocidal assault persist. Even if it holds, Gaza faces a new phase of uncertainty. In addition to killing tens of thousands of Palestinians over the last year and a half, Israel has destroyed much of Gaza in a deliberate attempt to render the land uninhabitable and “thin out” the population. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continues to breathe life into Israel’s ethnic cleansing fantasies with repeated threats of a US takeover and transformation of Gaza into a luxury beachfront metropolis. Despite the threats, Palestinians in Gaza remain steadfast in their commitment to stay and rebuild their land.

What will it take to reconstruct Gaza, both physically and politically? What role will external actors play in facilitating or obstructing this effort? Can meaningful reconstruction happen under continued siege and occupation? In this policy lab, Dena Qaddumi and Jehad Abusalim join host Tariq Kenney-Shawa to discuss what the ceasefire in Gaza means for Palestinians and the state of the physical and political landscape that determines what comes next.

Dena Qaddumi is an Al-Shabaka member and Fellow in City Design and Social Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She recently coordinated the Palestine: Spaces and Politics curriculum, an open-access project offering resources for education and research on Palestine's built and natural environments.

Jehad Abusalim, originally from Deir el-Balah in Gaza, is an Al-Shabaka member and Executive Director of the Institute for Palestine Studies-USA in Washington, DC. He co-edited Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire (Haymarket Books, 2022).

Tariq Kenney-Shawa is Al-Shabaka's US Policy Fellow and co-host of Al-Shabaka's Policy Lab series. He holds a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University. Tariq's research and writing have covered a range of topics, from the role of open-source intelligence in exposing Israel's war crimes to analysis of Palestinian liberation tactics.

About the Policy Lab Program: Al-Shabaka's Policy Lab Program is an online live-stream space where audiences can engage directly with expert analysts from our nearly 200-member network as they craft policies and strategies related to Palestine. The labs are free and open for public participation, inviting viewers to join in on policy discussions.

Note: This discussion will take place in English. Our policy labs are supported through the generosity of donors. They are free to attend, though we accept contributions on a sliding scale upon registration to help sustain the program.

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Beyond the Ceasefire: Reconstructing Gaza After Genocide