Massive Destruction: How Can Gaza Be Rebuilt After 15 Months of War?

The American newspaper The Times published a report highlighting the immense challenges Gaza faces in rebuilding after 15 months of war. The conflict left behind massive destruction, including the devastation of vital infrastructure such as hospitals, water networks, and electricity grids.

In its report, the newspaper noted that as the war in Gaza nears its end, international donors are evaluating the catastrophic damage inflicted on the densely populated region and exploring ways to rebuild it someday.

According to the report, the numbers alone are staggering. The war, which claimed the lives of more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, left behind over 50.8 million tons of rubble—more than the debris from the war in Ukraine and 17 times the total amount of debris generated by other conflicts since 2008.

The estimated cost of removing the rubble is approximately $970.9 million, while reconstruction costs could soar to $80 billion. Two-thirds of Gaza, home to 2.1 million people, has been destroyed, including significant portions of its infrastructure. The United Nations reported that only 16 of the 35 hospitals in Gaza remain partially operational.

Removing the rubble alone could take over 14 years, according to UN estimates, while rebuilding homes might stretch into 2040. Nearly 90% of the population has been displaced, and at least 57% of Gaza’s water infrastructure, including desalination plants in northern and central Gaza, has been damaged or destroyed.

A June 2024 report revealed that every square meter in Gaza now contains over 107 kilograms of debris, which may include unexploded ordnance, hazardous materials, and human remains. The total amount of debris from the current conflict in Gaza is more than five times the debris generated by the battle against ISIS in Mosul in 2017 (7.65 million tons).

In October, UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked that the scale of destruction, particularly in northern Gaza—a region subjected to repeated Israeli military operations—has made life there “unbearable.”

The report also noted that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at this challenge during a speech this week, calling for the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, to oversee Gaza’s administration with the support of international partners and funding. However, this plan faces skepticism. As one Arab official whose country previously sent aid to Gaza told The Times: “We have seen all previous reconstruction efforts destroyed.”

Blinken’s remarks come over a decade after his predecessor John Kerry’s speech at the 2014 Cairo summit, which sought funding for Gaza’s reconstruction following a month-long war in 2014. That war was preceded by earlier conflicts in 2012 and 2008. While the 2014 war was considered devastating at the time, it pales in comparison to the destruction wrought by Israel’s latest offensive.

At the 2014 summit, participating nations pledged $5.4 billion in aid to Gaza, half of which was earmarked for reconstruction over three years. However, only a fraction of the funds reached Gaza due to stringent Israeli restrictions on materials allowed into the area. Countries that previously financed reconstruction efforts have been hesitant to fulfill their commitments, seeing the infrastructure they helped rebuild repeatedly destroyed.

The newspaper emphasized that these countries are even more reluctant now, given the uncertainty that this war will be the last. Hamas, which Israel vowed to eliminate, remains the strongest faction in Gaza. According to U.S. estimates, Hamas has recruited fighters equal to the number it lost during the 15-month war.

Israel opposes the entry of the Palestinian Authority into Gaza after Hamas expelled it in 2007. Moreover, Israel’s current government opposes discussions on establishing a Palestinian state, which many in the international community view as a marker of long-term stability.

The report concluded by noting that these intertwined factors mean hundreds of thousands of Palestinians may be forced to live in squalid tents, while neighboring countries like Egypt refuse to accept them en masse, fearing they will never be allowed to return.