Gaza not ready for rebuilding amid security and governance hurdles, UN says
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza Conditions for rebuilding Gaza are not in place with the lack of security, governance and restrictions on movement in the enclave, the UN, World Bank and EU have warned in a new assessment. The Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment released on Tuesday said that $53.2 billion is needed for recovery and reconstruction over the next 10 years. Gaza faces major rebuilding work, including clearing unexploded ordinance and millions of tonnes of rubble, following Israel's war which killed more than 48,200 people in the strip, according to local health officials, and left the enclave in ruins. The report said 'the speed, scale, and scope of recovery' will be shaped by security, governance and the movement of people and goods. 'Clear governance structures and co-ordination mechanisms are essential for managing the complexities of recovery in Gaza,' it said. 'Recovery and reconstruction must go hand-in-hand with broader reforms in governance, regulations, and regimes that facilitate longer-term sustainable development.' It also said Palestinian participation in the process would be needed to build trust among Gazans. 'Palestinian ownership and leadership of recovery and reconstruction efforts is critical, particularly with a view to enhance sustainability of recovery gains.' More than 290,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged and 95 per cent of hospitals were non-functional, the report said. The Gazan economy has contracted by 83 per cent in the worst downturn for at least three decades, while unemployment in Gaza and the occupied West Bank combined reached a record high of 51 per cent in October. 'The loss of life, widespread destruction, and the speed of damage to infrastructure have reached levels that rank among the worst in both the Middle East and North Africa region's history,' the assessment said. 'The consequences of this are expected to exert a prolonged and substantial burden on economic activities for several years ahead.' More than half the total estimated cost of rebuilding, or $29.9 billion, would need to be spent on repairing damaged buildings and other infrastructure, including housing, which would need around $15.2 billion, the report said. Another $19.1 billion would be required to make up for social and economic losses, including health, education, commerce and industry sectors devastated by the war. A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took effect in mid-January and continues to hold despite a series of setbacks and accusations of violations that have threatened to derail it. US President Donald Trump has proposed that the US take control of Gaza while it is rebuilt and that its two million residents are removed to make way for reconstruction. The idea has been widely rejected by the Arab world and Palestinians, who say it is tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Egypt is working on a counter-plan to rebuild without displacing people. The ceasefire's current phase runs until the beginning of March, and there are fears that fighting will resume. Talks on the second phase are under way. The 15-month war began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 that killed about 1,200 people.
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Gadi Hagi and his wife Judy Weinstein-Hagi were killed and taken to Gaza after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. Fifty-six hostages remain in captivity, with fewer than half believed to be alive. The Israeli military has intensified operations in Gaza since breaking a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in March, taking more territory with the government pushing to wipe out the Islamist militant group. At least 20 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Thursday, including four journalists in a hospital in the enclave's north, local health authorities said. The military said that it had targeted an Islamic Jihad militant who was operating a command-and-control centre. The Hamas-run government media office says that 225 journalists in Gaza have been killed since the war began. The renewed military campaign has further isolated Israel amid mounting international pressure. 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On Wednesday, a Palestinian transport company contracted by UN agencies suspended operations indefinitely after an armed gang intercepted its aid trucks in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza, killing one driver and injuring another. Israel and the US are urging the UN and governments to work through the GHF. But it is unclear who is funding the group, which this week named an evangelical Christian with ties to US President Donald Trump as its executive chairman.
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Dubai Eye
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American group distributing aid in Gaza delays reopening sites
A private company distributing aid in Gaza, backed by the US and Israel, had yet to reopen its distribution sites in the enclave by mid-morning on Thursday, a day after shutting them following a series of deadly shootings close to its operations. The US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said its sites would not open at their usual time due to maintenance and repair work. It did not say when aid distribution would resume. A Palestinian father of four in Gaza's Khan Younis, who asked not to be identified over safety concerns, told Reuters the GHF site near Rafah in southern Gaza had not reopened by mid-morning. GHF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The group, which has been fiercely criticised by humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations, began distributing aid last week. The UN has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave. The Israeli military has intensified its operations in Gaza since breaking a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in March, taking more territory with the government pushing to wipe out the group. At least 16 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Thursday, including four journalists in a hospital strike in the enclave's north, local health authorities said. The Israeli military had no immediate comment The renewed campaign has further isolated Israel amid mounting international pressure. On Wednesday, a US veto blocked a UN Security Council draft resolution, backed by the 14 other members, demanding an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" and full, unrestricted aid access to Gaza. Under global pressure, Israel allowed limited UN-led aid deliveries to resume on May 19. A week later, the relatively unknown GHF launched an aid distribution system that bypasses traditional agencies. SERIES OF SHOOTINGS The GHF halted distributions on Wednesday and said it was pressing the Israeli military to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its operations after dozens of Palestinians were shot dead near the Rafah site over three consecutive days this week. The exact details of what occurred remain unclear, but the Israeli military said its soldiers fired warning shots in each incident. GHF has said that aid was safely distributed from its sites without any incident. The American organisation, which uses private US security and logistics companies to transport aid to its distribution sites inside Gaza from where it is collected, has said that it has so far distributed at least 7 million meals. The UN and international aid groups have refused to work with the GHF because they say it is not neutral and forces the displacement of Palestinians. The GHF has so far established aid sites in southern and central Gaza but not in the north. Navigating the territory is dangerous, with unexploded rockets and shells making it difficult for many to reach the aid distribution sites. For Palestinians in northern Gaza, cut off from the distribution points in the south, even that remains out of reach.
