Board of Peace Gaza Reconstruction: Operationalizing the Day After

Matt Hyatt
Jan 1
4 min read

In U.S. Special Forces, we often say the hardest part of any operation is not the breach, it’s the hold and build. Kinetic action creates space, but legitimacy, governance, and continuity determine whether that space holds.

As we move into 2026, the U.S.–Israel relationship is entering its most complex “hold and build” phase to date. The so-called Day After is no longer an abstract policy debate; it is becoming an operational environment. One defined by governance design, security architecture, capital deployment, and institutional trust.

At the center of this shift is the Board of Peace Gaza reconstruction framework, which moves the conversation from post-conflict aspiration to operational governance, investment security, and execution at scale.

Recent diplomatic signaling, including high-level engagement between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside the formalization of United Nations Resolution 2803, has accelerated the emergence of a new stabilization framework. At its center sits an unfamiliar but consequential construct: the Board of Peace (BoP).

Board of Peace Gaza Reconstruction: Governance as an Operating System

The Board of Peace represents a departure from traditional post-conflict reconstruction models. Rather than relying primarily on slow-moving, NGO-led coordination, the BoP is designed to function more like a corporate turnaround board: centralized, outcome-driven, and accountable for delivery.

Key characteristics define this model:

U.S.-Led Oversight: Chaired by the United States, with senior political and economic advisors drawn from prior large-scale stabilization and reconstruction efforts.
Defined Mandate: A two-year transition toward a technocratic, non-factional Palestinian administrative authority focused on service delivery, not ideology.
Economic Flywheel: The establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) is intended to attract private capital into infrastructure, logistics, energy, and digitally enabled public services.

This is not reconstruction as charity. It is reconstruction as system design, where legitimacy is earned through reliability, services, and economic participation.

Security as the Enabler: The Role of the International Stabilization Force

Capital does not move without security. Every investor, insurer, and board understands this instinctively.

To address that reality, the 2026 framework introduces the International Stabilization Force (ISF). The ISF is a multinational security architecture tasked with demilitarization, perimeter control, and protection of critical reconstruction corridors.

The intent is not permanent occupation, but the creation of a credible security envelope. A “Green Zone” environment that allows infrastructure projects, supply chains, and technical personnel to operate without constant disruption.

For industry, this is a pivotal shift. The ISF changes the risk equation from open-ended exposure to bounded operational risk, making participation feasible for firms that previously could not justify entry.

Why This Moment Matters for Industry

What is unfolding in Gaza is not only a political process; it is the formation of a new strategic ecosystem at the intersection of defense, technology, energy, and governance.

This ecosystem will demand capabilities that go well beyond traditional contracting:

Dual-Use Technologies: Security platforms that also support civilian infrastructure, AI-enabled logistics, grid resilience, smart permitting, water, and energy monitoring.
Governance-Aware Design: Systems that are explainable, auditable, and defensible to regulators, donors, and international oversight bodies.
Long-Horizon Accountability: Solutions that can be sustained after headlines fade and external forces draw down.

In short, performance alone will not be enough. Trust, legitimacy, and institutional fluency will determine which technologies are adopted.

Crossed Arrows Global: Bridging Institutions, Not Just Markets

At Crossed Arrows Global, our roots are in U.S. Army Special Forces. That background shapes how we view this environment.

We understand that in complex, contested spaces, trust is not a byproduct; it is the mission. The 2026 stabilization effort will require what can best be described as Special Operations business skills:

1. Vetting and Counter-Party Risk

The Board of Peace will impose stringent due diligence requirements on corporate participants. We help U.S. and allied firms navigate compliance expectations while accounting for regional realities that are often poorly understood in Washington or corporate headquarters.

2. The Venture-Client Pathway

Rather than traditional sales cycles, the BoP model favors pilot-to-adoption pathways. We assist companies in framing their technology within defined use cases in SEZs, positioning them as mission-enabling partners rather than speculative vendors.

3. Operating Across Transitional Boundaries

The current ceasefire environment has created informal operational seams. This is what many operators refer to as a “yellow line” between Israeli control, ISF security zones, and transitioning civil authorities. Functioning across these seams requires the kind of situational awareness and relationship mapping that conventional consultancies lack.

From Conflict to Cooperation: A Narrow Window

The 2026 framework is a high-risk, high-impact frontier. It is not suitable for firms seeking short-term wins or low-touch engagement. But for organizations prepared to operate with discipline, patience, and credibility, the opportunity is real and time-bound.

As the Board of Peace begins naming its initial partners in infrastructure, technology, and services, the window for strategic positioning is already narrowing. The Day After is no longer a future tense. It is an operating environment forming in real time.

Crossing the Bridge Deliberately

Crossed Arrows Global does not sell access. We reduce friction between institutions, cultures, and execution realities. Our role is to help clients translate capability into legitimacy and innovation into trust.

Peace, when it works, is not accidental. It is operationalized.

The question is not whether opportunities will emerge in Gaza’s reconstruction. The question is whether you are prepared to operate inside them.