In 2 years, Israel destroyed nearly 85% of Gaza. Rebuilding could take decades
A little more than a week after Israel and Hamas entered into a fragile ceasefire agreement, all eyes have turned to the monumental task of rebuilding Gaza, a task that many believe could take decades to accomplish. Already, numerous aid organizations and nations have committed themselves to the effort, which is expected to cost upwards of $70 billion.
“I don’t think there’s any modern comparison to what’s going to need to happen in the Gaza Strip right now,” Hady Amr, a former U.S. representative for Palestinian affairs, told ABC News. “The level of destruction and devastation is just absolutely immense.”
Nearly all of Gaza completely destroyed
Within the first week of the ceasefire, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) cleared roughly 81,000 tons of rubble from the enclave, which was relentlessly battered by Israeli bombardments over the course of two years.
Jaco Cilliers, the U.N. Development Programme special representative for Palestine, said on average, roughly 84% of the Gaza Strip is entirely destroyed. The number can top out at 92% in specific areas, such as Gaza City.
“We’ve already removed about 81,000 tonnes. That is about…3,100 truckloads,” Cilliers said in a statement published Wednesday. “The majority of the debris removal is to provide access to humanitarian actors so that they can provide the much-needed aid and support to the people in Gaza. But we also help with hospitals and other social services that need to be cleared of debris.”
Coordinating financial, humanitarian aid
Amongst the wreckage are Palestinian homes, as well as critical infrastructure such as schools, water purification systems, hospitals, waste management and more. Cilliers told journalists in Geneva that $20 billion will be necessary in just the next three years.
Large swaths of the Strip have been plunged into famine since Israel launched its war on Hamas in October 2023. Likewise, numerous international bodies, politicians and Israel-based human rights groups have accused Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of perpetuating genocide in Gaza, a charge Netanyahu denies.
On Saturday, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher toured the Gaza Strip, surveying the devastation and the organization’s nascent relief efforts.
“I drove through here seven to eight months ago when most of these buildings were still standing, and to see the devastation, this is a vast part of the city, just a wasteland, and it’s absolutely devastating to see,” Fletcher told reporters.
In a post to X on Friday, Fletcher detailed progress in the U.N.’s 60-day Gaza plan, writing, “Since the ceasefire, we have been able to bring in much more flour, yeast, and fuel for machines. New UN supported bakeries are being opened every day. Visited the latest, where 300,000 pieces of bread are already being produced daily.”
What happens next?
Cilliers of the UNDP said that various countries –– from Arab nations to the U.S., Canada and European allies –– have voiced their intentions to financially support Gaza’s reconstruction. It’s something the director-general of the World Trade Organization addressed during a Thursday meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s Development Committee.
“We deeply appreciate the ceasefire, the return of hostages, and the hope for safe access to food and aid for Palestinians,” said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. “We want to help. This must be the path forward, but it will take time.”
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Humanitarian Relief Foundation is currently operating in northern Gaza. The group is working to clear debris, reopen roads and bolster the region’s environmental hygiene.
Cairo is set to host a conference on Gaza’s reconstruction efforts in November. Dubbed the International Conference for Early Recovery & Reconstruction of Gaza Strip, the conference will build upon U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
