Nearly seven months into a fragile cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians are making do with limited resources to repair damaged homes and infrastructure, but large-scale reconstruction remains largely at a standstill amid mounting costs and ongoing restrictions.
Despite the scale of destruction, rebuilding efforts remain largely frozen, with experts pointing to Israeli restrictions on construction materials and unresolved political disputes as key obstacles.
A new international assessment estimates the enclave will require $71.4 billion over the next decade to recover.
The final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), released last month by the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank, said $26.3 billion will be needed in the first 18 months alone to restore essential services, repair critical infrastructure and support economic recovery.
It estimated physical infrastructure damage at $35.2 billion, while economic and social losses reached $22.7 billion, with housing, health care, education, commerce and agriculture among the hardest-hit sectors.
