Gaza Reconstruction Will Require Billions of Dollars

Clearing over 50 million tons of debris left by Israeli bombings could take 21 years.

22nd January 2025

3 minutes read

Gaza Reconstruction Will Require Billions of Dollars

United Nations estimates indicate that rebuilding the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” will require billions of dollars.

According to a UN assessment this month, clearing over 50 million tons of debris left by Israeli bombings could take 21 years and cost approximately $1.2 billion.

The debris may be contaminated with asbestos, as some destroyed refugee camps were built with this material. Additionally, the rubble may contain human remains.

In May, the Palestinian Ministry of Health estimated that around 10,000 bodies remain under the rubble. A UN Development Program official stated Sunday that the conflict had erased 69 years of development progress.

A UN report published last year indicated that rebuilding the destroyed homes in Gaza could extend until at least 2040 and possibly take decades.

UN satellite data from December showed that two-thirds of buildings in Gaza before the war, over 170,000 structures, were destroyed or severely damaged, representing about 69% of the total buildings in the area.

This figure includes a total of 245,123 residential units. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that over 1.8 million people in Gaza currently require shelter.

A joint report by the UN and the World Bank estimated that infrastructure damage amounted to approximately $18.5 billion by the end of January 2024, affecting residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, as well as essential services like education, health, and energy.

An OCHA update this month revealed that available water supplies are less than a quarter of pre-war levels, while at least 68% of the road network has been severely damaged.

Satellite analyses showed that more than half of Gaza’s agricultural lands, vital for feeding the hungry population, have deteriorated due to the conflict.

Data also reveals increased destruction of orchards, field crops, and vegetables, exacerbating hunger in the area after 15 months of Israeli bombings.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported last year that 15,000 heads of livestock, or over 95% of the total, and about half of the sheep had been slaughtered or died since the conflict began.

Hamas affirmed on Monday that “Gaza will rise again” despite the extensive destruction caused by the Israeli war lasting over 15 months.

In a press release, the movement stated: “Gaza, with its resilient people and unwavering will, will rise again to rebuild what the occupation destroyed and continue on the path of resistance until the occupation ends and an independent Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Palestinian data shows the conflict destroyed over 200 government facilities, 136 schools and universities, 823 mosques, and three churches.

An OCHA report revealed that many hospitals were destroyed during the conflict, and as of January, only 17 out of 36 units were partially operational.

Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab highlighted the extent of destruction along Gaza’s eastern border. As of May 2024, more than 90% of buildings in this area, including over 3,500 structures, were either destroyed or severely damaged.