Qatar Begins Gaza Debris Removal on Al-Wahda Street Despite Disarmament Stalemate

On April 13, 2026, the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza released footage showing heavy equipment conducting debris removal operations on Al-Wahda Street in Gaza City, with plans to clear rubble from more than 200 destroyed buildings across the strip. The reconstruction push came despite Hamas's refusal to accept the Board of Peace disarmament framework — which is a precondition for release of the broader $50B+ international reconstruction fund. Qatar's committee was operating under a limited interim reconstruction mandate, drawing on Gulf state funds rather than the frozen Board of Peace pool. Analysts noted the move was partly designed to pressure Hamas toward accepting the disarmament framework by demonstrating that reconstruction could proceed incrementally, while also providing tangible relief to Gaza's 2.3 million residents living amid widespread destruction from the 2023–2025 war. The reconstruction effort unfolded against the backdrop of the collapsed April 9 Board of Peace deadline and Hamas's counterproposals on April 11.