Many Gazans were already aware that their homes were in ruins when they traveled back to their neighborhoods after the ceasefire. The UN estimates that the damage to Gaza exceeds $70 billion, making the idea of reconstructing homes, businesses, and all the institutions and services required for a restoration to normal life extremely daunting.
According to King’s College London Middle East security specialist Prof. Andreas Krieg: “It’s worse than starting from scratch—here, you’re starting with rubble rather than sand.”
It is currently estimated that 84% of the strip has been destroyed. According to Jaco Cilliers, special representative for the Palestinians for the UN Development Programme, it can reach 92% in some areas of Gaza, such as Gaza City.
This damage has produced massive volumes of debris. According to BBC Verify’s assessments based on recent satellite data, Gaza may have more than 60 million tonnes of garbage that has to be removed.
The first step in any post-conflict reconstruction process must be to remove any remaining battle debris. There is more than just concrete and twisted metal among the millions of tonnes of debris that are currently strewn across the Gaza Strip. They also have unexploded munitions and human remains.
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