Gaza Recovery Stalls as Israeli Strike Kills Commander

The Israeli military said it killed Hamas military commander Momen Ahmad Salameh Ay in a Gaza City airstrike on Tuesday, October 13. The recovery plan for the Gaza Strip remained stalled, and the Palestinian committee tasked with administration still couldn’t enter. The military identified Ay as an aide to commanders of Hamas' Gaza Brigade. It announced the killing on Wednesday, October 14.

Recovery framework

The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) announced Wednesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the German Corporation for International Cooperation, or GIZ, in Cairo. The agreement, signed the previous day, establishes a framework for technical cooperation to support recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

The framework covers economic recovery, institutional development, municipal services and social protection. It also includes education, employment and planning, along with water, agriculture and energy. The NCAG said on X that GIZ would provide technical expertise and specialized advisory services, help with needs assessments and support capacity-building.

NCAG head Ali Shaath expressed appreciation to Germany and GIZ, praising the organization’s longstanding contribution in the Gaza Strip. GIZ has long maintained staff in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Plan stalled

The agreement comes as the US-backed Board of Peace, which oversees the NCAG, seeks to advance a $2.45 billion recovery plan for Gaza. The plan is intended to run for six months. Disputes over Hamas’s disarmament and Israeli Defense Forces withdrawals have stalled its implementation.

The Palestinian technocratic committee hasn’t been able to enter the Strip and assume its governing responsibilities. That continued impasse comes as the NCAG and GIZ set out a framework covering public services, institutions and economic recovery. The memorandum describes technical cooperation, but the committee’s entry and the recovery plan’s implementation remain unresolved in the account announced Wednesday.

Progress on the plan remains tied to disputes over disarmament and withdrawals. The Board of Peace oversees the NCAG, and the NCAG announced its agreement with GIZ. The report doesn’t say the memorandum has resolved those disputes or enabled the committee to enter Gaza.

Airstrike claims

The Israeli military said its airstrike killed Momen Ahmad Salameh Ay in Gaza City on Tuesday. It alleged he had taken part in holding Israeli hostages captive during the war. The military also alleged that he had recently advanced attacks on Israeli troops and civilians and sought to restore the group’s capabilities in violation of the cease-fire.

Those claims came from the Israeli military. The account includes no response from Hamas or the committee to the military’s allegations. The strike and the recovery agreement were reported separately: the military described its Gaza City operation, while the NCAG announced a technical cooperation framework with GIZ. The recovery plan remained stalled amid disputes over disarmament and Israeli Defense Forces withdrawals, and the Palestinian technocratic committee still hadn’t entered the Strip.