The United Nations estimates that Gaza will require more than USD 53 billion to recover from Israel’s war on the enclave that has spilled over into other Palestinian territories. The first three years alone will need at least USD 20 billion, the UN asserted Tuesday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that Gaza is a “humanitarian catastrophe.” The report stated that rebuilding cannot start without a “political and security framework,” and an end to the Israeli occupation and progress toward a two-state solution is critical.
Most of Gaza’s infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and homes, has been destroyed by Israel’s military attacks which have not ceased despite the supposedly ongoing but fragile ceasefire.
The UN report estimated that just rebuilding housing for people will require USD 15.2 billion. Commerce and industry will need USD 6.9 billion, and the health sector will need USD 6.9 billion.
Reviving the agricultural sector will take about USD 4.2 billion, and the transportation network will need an estimated USD 2.9 billion. Water and sanitation will require USD 2.7 billion, and education USD 2.6 billion.
Environmental cleanup would likely cost USD 1.9 billion due to the massive amount of debris containing unexploded bombs and other ordnance as well as materials hazardous to human health.
The report noted that more than 60% of Gaza’s homes have been destroyed, and the war has left over 50 million tons of debris, under which lie human remains, unexploded ordnance, and other dangerous substances.
Guterres said that the Palestinian Authority must lead the reconstruction effort. The UN General Assembly in calling for an immediate ceasefire in December directed that its damage assessment be completed within two months.
The report was finalized on January 30, just days before former US President Donald Trump floated his controversial idea to “take over” Gaza, clear the rubble, and redevelop the Palestinian territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” His suggestion sparked global backlash and rejection from world leaders, including those in the Arab world, as well as Palestinians.
At a joint press conference Tuesday in the Oval Office, King Abdullah of Jordan who is in Washington, DC, was asked directly whether Arab states have agreed to the proposal. King Abdullah referenced a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries that will be discussed with Trump and added, “let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
An Arab government official (who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the subject) told CNN that it’s “unclear” that the US has fully worked through the details of Trump’s “plan.” In stark contrast to Trump’s suggestion that Palestinian Gazans will be displaced permanently, Arab officials will be proposing ideas for a future Gaza that will not involve expelling its Palestinian residents, the official said.