11:54 am - February 13, 2025
It has been 16 months since Israel launched its devastating war on Gaza, leaving the enclave in utter devastation. The scale of destruction is unprecedented, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble and essential infrastructure shattered. The road to reconstruction is not only daunting but also fraught with uncertainty, as the question of who will foot the bill remains unresolved. The war has claimed the lives of more than 61,700 people, with another 110,000 injured, the majority of whom are women and children. Beneath the ruins, up to 50 million tonnes of rubble conceal thousands of bodies still waiting to be recovered. The humanitarian crisis is overwhelming, and the international community is grappling with how to address both the immediate needs of the survivors and the long-term challenges of rebuilding a shattered society.
The true cost of reconstructing Gaza remains unknown, but estimates are staggering. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has dropped at least 75,000 tonnes of explosives on the enclave, leaving more than 90 percent of homes and 88 percent of schools either damaged or destroyed. The bombing has also targeted critical infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, farms, and water treatment facilities. The United Nations has estimated that the reconstruction efforts could cost $53 billion, a figure that does not account for the full scope of the damage. According to Rami Alazzeh, an economics affairs officer at the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the UN’s estimate only covers housing and does not include other essential infrastructure. Alazzeh emphasized that a comprehensive on-the-ground assessment is needed to determine the full extent of the destruction, but even without it, he warned that the cost will run into tens of billions of dollars. The process of clearing the rubble alone is expected to cost at least $1.2 billion, which is slightly over half of Gaza’s GDP in 2022. The task is further complicated by the presence of unexploded ordnance, dangerous contaminants like asbestos, and the grim reality of thousands of dead bodies buried under the debris.
Beyond the physical destruction, the war has had a profound impact on the lives of Gaza’s people. Unemployment has skyrocketed to 90 percent, and the loss of human capital is severe. Children have lost 16 months of education, and medical care has been severely disrupted for over a year. The World Health Organization has reported nearly one million cases of acute respiratory infections, half a million cases of diarrhoea, and 100,000 cases of scabies in the first nine months of the conflict. Malnutrition is rampant, and the long-term development prospects for Gaza are severely constrained. According to Alazzeh, the pace of reconstruction will also depend on whether hostilities resume, as Israel has repeatedly destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure in the past. The challenge is not just to rebuild physical structures but also to restore the social fabric of a community that has endured unimaginable suffering.
The question of funding for reconstruction is complex and goes beyond mere dollars and cents. After the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza, international donors pledged $5.4 billion for rebuilding efforts, focusing on roads, hospitals, housing, and agricultural projects. This time, however, the scale of destruction is far greater, and the situation is more precarious. Palestinian development economist Raja Khalidi told Al Jazeera that key players like Egypt and Qatar are unlikely to commit significant funds without a political process in place. Khalidi stressed that any meaningful reconstruction effort will require a government in Gaza that is acceptable to donors, Palestinians, and Israelis. However, he warned that achieving political consensus has long been a major obstacle. Even if funds were available, Israel’s restrictions on the import of construction materials, such as steel, cement, and pipes, which it claims could be used by Hamas to build underground tunnels, pose a significant challenge. These restrictions, in place since 2007, have already hindered reconstruction efforts.
The political landscape further complicates the situation. Israel has made it clear that it will not pay for the reconstruction of Gaza or provide compensation for the damage it has caused. Former Israeli government adviser Daniel Levy noted that Israel has also positioned itself to influence how Gaza should be governed, despite widespread opposition to its stance. While many in the international community advocate for a revitalized Palestinian Authority (PA) to take control of Gaza, this option is not popular among most Palestinians in the enclave. Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to “take over” Gaza and expel its population has been roundly condemned by international leaders and human rights groups, who have likened it to ethnic cleansing. Trump’s plan has not only been rejected but has also dealt a blow to the possibility of Saudi-Israeli normalization, which Riyadh has conditioned on the creation of a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state, dismissing Trump’s vision of Gaza as a “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Despite the daunting challenges, there is a glimmer of hope in the resilience of Gaza’s people. As Raja Khalidi noted, if international aid does not materialize, the people of Gaza will rebuild their homes and communities themselves, a process that will take much longer but is driven by determination and resourcefulness. For now, the focus remains on survival, as Gaza struggles to cope with the aftermath of 16 months of war. The road to recovery will be long and arduous, but the resilience of Gaza’s people offers a testament to the enduring human spirit, even in the face of unimaginable destruction and despair.