In Gaza, 81% of buildings are damaged, clearing will take 5-7 years — WSJ

The Gaza Strip, which many experts are already calling a zone of total destruction, is approaching a point where the issue of clearing territories becomes even more important than short-term humanitarian solutions. The Wall Street Journal writes that the scale of the consequences surpasses everything the region has experienced in previous conflicts.

UN satellite images show a picture that is hard to ignore: over 123,000 buildings have been destroyed, and about 75,000 more have been seriously damaged. This is almost 81% of all infrastructure. The mass of debris is approximately 68 million tons. For comparison, this is the weight of almost two hundred Empire State Buildings.

Unexploded ordnance lies under the rubble. And bodies of people. Palestinian health structures report about ten thousand dead, whose remains have not yet been recovered.

What can be done and what cannot be done yet

Clearing is impossible without access to heavy equipment, which requires coordination with Israel. Negotiations on this issue are stalled: Hamas refuses to disarm, and Israel ties any concessions to this demand.

More than two million Gaza residents live in tents and temporary shelters. Winter rains turn the camps into streams of mud — the situation is deteriorating faster than humanitarian structures can respond.

Forecasts that few like

Jaco Cilliers from the UN Development Programme suggests that even with optimal progress, clearing will take five to seven years. There is little equipment, logistics are weak, and risks are high. Israel fears that heavy equipment could be used to lay new Hamas tunnels, so any permits are issued slowly.

The US is discussing the possibility of involving Gulf countries in financing. The UN estimates about $70 billion. This includes not only the construction of new buildings but also clearing, demining, security, and infrastructure. No agreements have been reached yet.

The remnants of war continue to work

Unexploded ordnance remains the main threat: new injuries are recorded every week. Experts believe that there are thousands of dangerous elements under the debris.

Some of the construction debris is sorted: concrete is crushed and reused, for example, for roads. This is only a small part of the project, but without such solutions, the region will quickly find itself in an even greater environmental crisis. The UN is looking for technological recycling options that can be applied on-site without access to large factories.

Political line

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu states that the second stage of the peace plan is close. Although key questions remain unanswered: who will ensure security, who will finance the reconstruction, how long will the transition period last.

Negotiations with Donald Trump are scheduled for the end of December. And the outcome may determine the entire further process — including clearing and the very possibility of reconstruction.

The editorial team of NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency is following the situation.