What is the scale of reconstruction necessary in Gaza? What has Tony Blair, who could oversee a postwar Gaza, been doing since leaving office as British prime minister? What might be motivating Hamas’s decision-making at this point?

U.S. President Donald Trump put forward a peace plan this week that he says promises to end the current fighting in Gaza if Hamas accepts it. That has raised the question of what would come next for Gaza, politically and economically. What’s already clear is that the scale of devastation in the Palestinian territory has been unfathomably vast.

U.S. President Donald Trump put forward a peace plan this week that he says promises to end the current fighting in Gaza if Hamas accepts it. That has raised the question of what would come next for Gaza, politically and economically. What’s already clear is that the scale of devastation in the Palestinian territory has been unfathomably vast.

What is the scale of reconstruction necessary in Gaza? What has Tony Blair, who could oversee a postwar Gaza, been doing since leaving office as British prime minister? What might be motivating Hamas’s decision-making at this point?

Those are just a few of the questions that came up in my recent conversation with FP economics columnist Adam Tooze on the podcast we co-host, Ones and Tooze. What follows is an excerpt, edited for length and clarity. For the full conversation, look for Ones and Tooze wherever you get your podcasts. And check out Adam’s Substack newsletter.

Cameron Abadi: Trump says the goal of his plan would be for Gaza to be redeveloped. What is the scale of the reconstruction that would be necessary here?

Adam Tooze: This question of reconstruction and redevelopment is so difficult to really wrap one’s head around because the scale of the destruction is so immense. They think it’s like 50 million tons of rubble is what Gaza has been reduced to by the Israeli ons