Addressing Housing, Economic, Health, Legal, and Educational Challenges to Rebuild Gaza’s Social Fabric, Cairo, 23-24 February 2025

From 23–24 February, Forward Thinking, in partnership with the SHAF Centre for Conflict Analysis and Future Studies, convened an international conference in Cairo to address the immediate challenges facing Gaza’s population. The event took place under the auspices of the League of Arab States and the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population.

Housing, health, education, economic, and legal needs were discussed by technocratic Palestinian Authority ministers, evacuees from Gaza, and international experts, officials, and diplomats from Australia, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the occupied Palestinian territories (East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank), Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the UK, the US, the EEAS, the League of Arab States, and the WHO. The Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, H.E. Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, welcomed participants. The ambassadors of Jordan and Qatar, along with Dr. Hatem Amer from the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, delivered opening remarks, underlining their countries’ commitment to addressing the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza.

The discussions enabled officials and experts to engage directly with the immediate needs shared from Ramallah. Participants committed to coordinated international action, guided by Palestinian perspectives, to support Gaza’s population.

The conference built on the successes of our March 2024 Cairo conference, convened in partnership with the SHAF Centre and under the auspices of the League of Arab States. That event provided an opportunity for evacuees from Gaza to engage with representatives of the Palestinian Authority and the international community to identify key challenges arising from the war in Gaza.

Oliver chairing the conference (right). Dr Zein El-Sadat, Secretary General and Executive Director of the SHAF Centre for Future Studies and Conflict Analysis (left).

Bahia Amra, External Relations Manager at the Palestinian Medical Relief Society discussing the challenges facing Gaza’s health sector (left) with Dr Graeme Groom, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon, and Co-Chair of IDEALS (right)

H.E. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary General of the Arab League (right) addressing participants. H.E. Ambassador Amjad Al-Abdallah, the Jordanian Ambassador to Egypt, and Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League (left).

Sir Max Hill K.C., barrister and former Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales (right) sharing insights from the legal sector. Harry Spurr, mediator and barrister (left).

Dr Samah Hamad, Palestinian Authority Minister of Social Development and Acting Minister for Relief Affairs addressing the group.