FALCON POWERS – A new report indicates that rebuilding Gaza and returning to the growth trajectory recorded between 2007 and 2022, due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, could take centuries.
In a report released on Monday, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) stated, “If the war were to end tomorrow and Gaza returned to the situation that existed before Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, it could take 350 years for its struggling economy to return to the unstable level it was at prior to the war.”
The current conflict has caused vast destruction across Gaza, with entire neighborhoods obliterated and vital infrastructure completely destroyed.
Mountains of debris, filled with decaying bodies and unexploded ordnance, must be cleared before reconstruction can commence.
The report added, “Once a ceasefire is reached, returning to the pre-October 2023 situation will not set Gaza on the path necessary for recovery and sustainable development. If the growth trend recorded between 2007 and 2022, averaging 0.4 percent, were to return, Gaza would need 350 years just to regain the GDP levels recorded in 2022.”
UN independent expert on the right to adequate housing, Balakrishnan Raghuvanshi, stated last week that by January 2024, between 60 and 70 percent of all homes in Gaza had been destroyed, with the figure reaching 82 percent in northern Gaza.
According to Raghuvanshi, a recent report from the United Nations Development Programme estimated that as of May, there were over 39 million tons of debris in Gaza.
He explained that the rubble is mixed with unexploded ordnance, toxic waste, asbestos from collapsed buildings, and other materials.
When asked about the time it would take to rebuild Gaza, Raghuvanshi noted that the debris must first be cleared, followed by securing funding, and then emphasized, “There is another significant issue: reconstruction cannot occur until the occupation ends.”
Raghuvanshi pointed out that Israel imposes restrictions on construction materials and equipment, claiming they have “dual-use” purposes.
He added that after the 2014 war in Gaza, fewer than a thousand homes were built each year, stating, “The UNDP estimated that 80,000 homes were destroyed in the current war, so the reconstruction process would take 80 years if the occupation continues.”
