Academic Paper: The Post-War Non-State Economy: The Politics of Systematically Dismantling Gaza’s Economic Structures as an Instrument of Political Domination (Arabic)

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By: Dr. Raed Muhammad Hillis.
(Exclusively for al-Zaytouna Centre).

This paper explores the systematic dismantling of economic structures in the Gaza Strip (GS) as an instrument of political domination in the post-war context. It contends that Israel’s recurrent military assaults on GS in recent years have transcended the confines of conventional warfare, evolving into a deliberate strategic framework aimed at reconfiguring the region’s economic and political order.

The paper, prepared by specialist in Palestinian economic affairs Dr. Raed Hillis, and published by al-Zaytouna Centre, in Arabic, documents the principal mechanisms underpinning these policies, including the control of borders and crossings to impose isolation and collective punishment; the systematic targeting of critical infrastructure such as water, energy and health services; the disruption of productive sectors; the paralysis of financial and administrative systems through the targeting of national expertise; the obstruction of financial resources; and the deliberate destabilization of the banking sector.

The study also explores efforts to reengineer the Palestinian economy within the framework of externally sponsored reconstruction schemes, most notably the Trump Plan, which, according to the analysis, aim to consolidate a dependency model often referred to as a “non-state economy,” through conditional reconstruction and the privatization of resources.

The paper delineates three potential future scenarios (hegemony, contestation and resilience), and underscores that the “resilience” scenario, which is founded upon community sovereignty, a resistant economy, and social justice, represents the only strategic pathway for achieving genuine and sustainable development.

The paper concludes with recommendations that emphasize the rejection of externally imposed reconstruction plans, the formulation of a comprehensive national framework for rebuilding, and the conversion of international aid into strategic investments administered by Palestinian institutions. Such measures are intended to transcend the logic of a “non-state economy” and to re-establish the intrinsic link between development and national liberation.