Mike Huckabee expressed doubt regarding the viability of reconstruction plans for the Gaza Strip
Mike Huckabee expressed doubt regarding the viability of reconstruction plans for the Gaza Strip, warning in a diplomatic cable that the proposed Board of Peace is moving too slowly to establish a functioning presence on the ground, Politico reported.
Diplomatic Cable Highlights Resource Pressures and Plan Delays
The U.S. embassy pressed Washington for clarity and additional resources to make the administration’s stabilization strategy work, according to excerpts of a diplomatic cable read in an interview with Thomas Warrick, who served as deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy at the Department of Homeland Security.
“The embassy is clearly pressing Washington for clarity and additional resources in order to make the Trump plan work,” Warrick said. “Hamas is getting stronger, and it’s looking like the Board of Peace is too slow to get on the ground in Gaza with a plan that will get results.”
In response to the cable, the Board of Peace issued a statement maintaining that it was unfamiliar with the communication. The organization asserted that it remains confident in its detailed frameworks addressing humanitarian assistance, security, governance, the rule of law, infrastructure development, and reconstruction in the territory. “Our capacities and systems in place are strong and ready for implementation,” the board stated.
The Pentagon directed inquiries regarding the cable to the State Department, which declined to comment.
Governance Committee Faces Backsliding Risks
The cable also points to potential vulnerabilities surrounding the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the Palestinian technocratic body established to govern the strip. Reconstruction delays threaten to undermine the committee’s authority and credibility.
Huckabee wrote that humanitarian assistance should surge in alignment with the priorities of the committee and the administration. The cable emphasizes that aid must complement long-term reconstruction to prevent backsliding and prove the administrative body’s effectiveness, while noting that the United States will urge foreign donors to contribute their share toward meeting humanitarian needs.
Security Volatility and Infrastructure Obstacles
The disclosures arrive amid persistent volatility across the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military recently presented U.S. Army officers with intelligence indicating that Hamas is actively preparing for renewed hostilities and can only be disarmed through a return to war, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Thursday.
Those security concerns coincide with logistical roadblocks. Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that Israel was blocking the construction of a base in Gaza designed to house international stabilization troops.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the intelligence assessments or base construction impediments.