In war-torn Gaza Strip, at least 90,000 residential buildings need reconstruction

Dozens of thousands of the residential buildings in the impoverished coastal enclave, which were attacked by Israeli air jets in various conflicts, are still needing to be reconstructed, according to a Gaza-based human rights centre.

Recently, al-Mezan Center for Human Rights issued its 2022 annual report, titled, "The reality of economic, social and cultural rights in Gaza for 2022."

"More than 90,000 housing units that were partially or completely damaged during the multiple Israeli fierce military wars on the Gaza Strip need to be rebuilt as soon as possible," the report noted.

The report, which sent a copy to The New Arab, added that "since 2008, about 90,017 housing units were partially or completely damaged by the Israeli strikes are still not rebuilding."

Palestinians in Gaza criticise 'slow' reconstruction process https://t.co/OwPrKqktsU via @the_newarab

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Residents in the coastal enclave have been subjected to five large-scale Israeli military wars between 2007 and 2022. Tens of limited military tensions between the Israeli army and the Palestinian armed groups also hit the territory, home to more than 2.3 million people.

As a result, thousands of people were killed by the Israeli army, with dozens of thousands of residential and governmental, as well as most of the infrastructure in the territory destroyed.

Mohammed Abed Rabu, a resident from the eastern part of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, complained that he still did not receive any guarantees that he would rebuild his home, destroyed in 2008 by Israeli jets.

Speaking to TNA, the 58-year-old father of eleven said, "The Israeli army destroyed my house as well as the homes of my four sons. After six years, only two sons were funded to rebuild their houses, but neither I nor my two sons obtained any real promises to reconstruct our houses soon."

Until he can reconstruct his home, Abed Rabu lives with his extended family in a rental apartment in Beit Lahia town in northern Gaza, which increases his financial burdens, the unemployed middle-aged man said to TNA.

Gazans fearful of new Israeli bombing campaign in 2022 - https://t.co/38aSuTiRLD on @The_NewArab #Palestine pic.twitter.com/yram7dFSOD

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"I can barely get food from international institutions to feed my family," he said."What makes me sad is that many of my neighbours have received compensation to rebuild their houses and restore their normal lives, but I haven't gotten any help yet."

Sameh Abu Ouda, a resident of Beit Hanoun town in northern Gaza, also has not received funds to rebuild his five-floor house that was destroyed in the attack by Israel in 2021. Since then, my family, including sons, stepdaughters, and grandchildren, is divided as we are forced to live in separate rental small houses.

"I do not know why the civilian people are forced to wait for a long time until receiving their basic right to rebuild their houses, while the governmental facilities got the funds and were rebuilt once the wars ended," Abu Ouda said to TNA. 

Both Abu Ouda and Abed Rabu called on the Arab and international communities to help Palestinians in Gaza rebuild and pressure Israel to stop its wars on the territory.