According to the UN, the damage amounts to about 70 billion dollars, while approximately 300 thousand houses have been destroyed or damaged. The streets of Gaza are filled with 60 million tons of rubble, bombs that can explode at any moment and dead bodies. More than 68 thousand people have lost their lives in the last 5 years, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Amid a still-fragile ceasefire, Gazans are taking the first cautious steps toward recovery. Machines have cleared some streets, loading the remnants of war onto trucks. However, piles of rubble and twisted metal still lie in neighborhoods that once teemed with life. Parts of Gaza City have been destroyed beyond repair.
“This was my home,” says Abu Iyad Hamdouna, pointing to a concrete and steel pit in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. “It was here, but the house is gone,” says Abu Iyad, 63, sadly, adding that he will live to see Gaza rebuilt. “At this rate, it will take 10 years. We will die before we see the reconstruction,” he says. Nearby, Nihad al-Madhoun and his nephew, Said, are collecting recyclable materials from the rubble. “Just cleaning the rubble could take more than five years,” says Nihad. “We will wait. We have no other option.”
According to the UN, the damage amounts to about 70 billion dollars, while approximately 300 thousand houses have been destroyed or damaged. The streets of Gaza are filled with 60 million tons of rubble, bombs that can explode at any moment and dead bodies. More than 68 thousand people have lost their lives in the last 5 years, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
There are many ideas for rebuilding Gaza… Some are grandiose plans from abroad, including US President Donald Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” proposal, which envisions luxury resorts and high-tech cities, including the possibility of moving part of the population outside Gaza. But Gazans are skeptical of these ideas and want to have a say in the reconstruction. The Phoenix Plan, drafted by some 700 Palestinian experts, aims to protect existing infrastructure and restore the city’s social and urban fabric.
The plan involves local students and architects and focuses on the real needs of local communities. The Palestinian Authority’s plan also aims to preserve the identity of the refugees and their old neighborhoods. “We want to rebuild Jabalia where it was,” says Estephan Salameh, the planning minister. “We want to preserve the spirit and identity of Gaza.”
However, the reconstruction process will be slow and difficult. Many areas have been completely destroyed and will need to be re-examined and rebuilt from scratch. The time for reconstruction could take decades, in addition to the need for open borders, political stability, and international financing. While political discussions continue, Gazans face their most immediate needs.
Abu Iyad Hamdouna says: Reconstruction? What about the water?! He and his family continue to live in tents near the ruins of their home, trying to survive, without waiting for any major international plan.