Rebuilding Efforts in Gaza Amidst Destruction

More than 90 percent of Gaza lies in ruins, prompting thousands to rebuild homes with limited resources such as mud and rubble. Residents in Gaza are utilizing mud bricks, salvaged wood, and sheets of fabric and plastic to reconstruct homes and shops that have been damaged during the conflict. In neighborhoods that have been flattened by months of bombardment, families are stacking handmade bricks directly on broken concrete, creating fragile walls over cratered floors. These rudimentary structures provide minimal protection from heat, rain, or cold, but residents report that they are the only option available aside from overcrowded tents or sleeping outdoors. Gaza authorities state that over 90 percent of the Strip has been destroyed since October 2023, resulting in inadequate housing and basic infrastructure for much of the population. According to Palestinian health authorities and Gaza’s Government Media Office, at least 73,658 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 21,500 children. The office estimates that Israel has dropped approximately 223,000 tonnes of explosives on the territory, leading to around 68 million tonnes of rubble. The United Nations reports that only about 310,000 tonnes, less than 0.5 percent, of this debris has been cleared, indicating a pace that would take over a century to remove the rubble that currently supports Gaza’s fragile, handmade homes.