Mohammed Ziara, the Palestinian caretaker government’s Minister of Public Works and Housing, has stated that the Palestinian people in Gaza are experiencing a catastrophic situation across all human, environmental, health, educational, and social standards, amidst the ongoing war in the region and assaults in the West Bank.
In an interview with Al-Ittihad, Dr. Ziara noted that reconstruction would cost tens of billions of dollars and take several years, although some areas could be repaired within a few months, including the restoration of homes, infrastructure, and basic services such as water, electricity, telecommunications, debris removal, and road clearance in key areas.
Regarding the war’s impact on Gaza’s infrastructure, the minister mentioned that preliminary estimates, based on previous conflicts, the nature of Gaza, and the past several months of warfare, indicate that around 1.8 million Palestinians are currently homeless, having lost their homes or been forced to evacuate.
More than a quarter-million housing units have been destroyed to varying degrees, some completely uninhabitable and others partially damaged.
Dr. Ziara pointed out that more than 40% of urban areas in Gaza have been entirely “erased” from the map, with some neighborhoods and significant parts of cities no longer existing.
This has led to a situation where residents, upon return, might not recognize their homes. He highlighted that at least 50% of the total infrastructure, including roads, water and sewage systems, and electrical and telecommunications lines, has been destroyed.
Thousands of educational, health, and service facilities, along with Islamic and Christian places of worship and archaeological sites over a thousand years old, have been damaged or destroyed, resulting in severe humanitarian conditions.
Ziara explained that it is currently impossible to accurately assess the material damages in Gaza, as the figures are continually rising due to the ongoing conflict. Every second, more destruction, bombing, and killing occur.
He stressed that reconstruction requires international political will and necessary funding, with the national authority overseeing the process and the involvement of UN, Arab, and international institutions.
The government and the Palestinian people place utmost importance on national interests in all stages of relief, shelter, and reconstruction to ensure that residents can return to their original locations and prevent any conspiracies to partition Gaza or cause displacement.
In concluding his interview with Al-Ittihad, the Palestinian Minister of Public Works and Housing emphasized that their top priority is to stop the war, provide shelter and relief to the population, and then focus on reconstruction.
He advocated for any measures that would cease the killing of Palestinians and prevent their displacement, calling for a complete and permanent halt to the conflict and the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza.
