Reuters: A Company from Gaza Contracted to Build a Housing Complex Funded by the UAE in Southern Gaza

SadaNews Economy - Two Israeli officials and two Palestinian businessmen told Reuters that a company from Gaza has contracted to build a housing complex funded by the UAE in part of the areas of the Gaza Strip under Israeli military control to accommodate tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians.

This marks the first time a contracting company from Palestine, employing workers from Gaza, has been announced to build this complex.

This seems to indicate an intention to start reconstruction without waiting for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, which is supposed to coincide with the disarmament of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as part of the next phase of the ceasefire agreement under the plan laid out by U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to sources, this approach comes within the context of arrangements for the next phase of the ceasefire agreement, which is supposed to be accompanied by the disarmament of Hamas, as part of the plan proposed by President Donald Trump.

The sources clarified that utilizing Palestinians in construction work may be an attempt to mitigate local opposition or hostility to the project, although questions remain about the willingness of large numbers of Palestinians to live or work in areas of the Gaza Strip that are still under Israeli control.

The United Arab Emirates has not officially announced the project yet, which some diplomats refer to as "Emirates City."

According to a planning map reviewed by Reuters, the complex is set to be built near the city of Rafah on the southern border of the Gaza Strip, in an area that had been emptied of its residents and subjected to extensive destruction during the Israeli war on the territory.

The sources identified the executing company as "Masoud and Ali Construction" (MACC), which is based in the Gaza Strip and has a long record of implementing large construction projects in Gaza and the West Bank over the decades.

One of the Palestinian businessmen, who has direct knowledge of the plan's details, stated that the company will cooperate with two Egyptian companies to execute the project, noting that the complex will be built on an estimated area of around 74 acres, and will include prefabricated housing units in the form of trailers, stacked on several floors, and capable of accommodating tens of thousands of displaced individuals.

"Masoud and Ali Construction" declined to comment on the information, while there was no immediate response from the Israeli occupation army or spokespeople for Hamas.

For his part, an Emirati official did not directly comment on the project details but affirmed that his country is "firmly committed to supporting all international efforts for relief and recovery in Gaza, in close cooperation with partners, to ensure that life-saving aid reaches those in need quickly and effectively.".