After 15 months of conflict between Hamas and Israel, Gaza has endured extensive devastation. Many Palestinians are returning to rubble where their homes once stood.
The current war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters crossed the border into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking a further 250 people hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Earlier, the United Nations estimated at least 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced.
For other Gazans, home will never be the same.
The World Health Organization said by December 31 last year only 18 of the 36 hospitals in Gaza were partially functioning with a total capacity of 1800 beds.
About 92% of housing units are destroyed, 68% of the road network is destroyed or damaged, 88% of school buildings need rebuilding or major repairs, and there are “zero” fuel reserves to operate generators at hospitals, according to ABC news agency report.
The United Nations estimates that it will cost $53bn to reconstruct Gaza, and a UNDP report released last year said it could take until at least 2040.
