The Gaza Crisis Response project represents a strategic shift from pre-war programming towards a crisis-adapted approach that combines immediate support with longer-term recovery objectives. Rather than following a sequential "relief first, development later" model, the program adopts a nexus approach that simultaneously protects human capital, safeguards rights, sustains livelihoods, and strengthens Palestinian institutional capacity under crisis conditions.
The program is designed to remain operational across different scenarios by relying on flexible implementation modalities, including remote and hybrid service delivery, digital solutions, Palestinian institutions, and trusted local organizations operating in Gaza. This enables interventions to be adapted, scaled, or repurposed as conditions evolve while ensuring continued accountability and risk management.
The program is structured around four complementary areas of intervention:
1. supporting youth to continue education and develop skills for future recovery;
2. strengthening mental health and psychosocial wellbeing for individuals and communities;
3. expanding livelihood opportunities through wage-based employment and remote work;
4. reinforcing Palestinian institutional leadership for recovery and reconstruction through strengthened technical capacities and evidence-based planning.

The program aligns with Palestinian priorities and is implemented in close coordination with national institutions, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and international partners to ensure complementarity with humanitarian and recovery efforts. At the same time, it serves as a platform for leveraging additional resources, positioning Belgium's bilateral contribution to catalyze further investment from the European Union and other development partners in Gaza's early recovery and reconstruction.