UN Says Rebuilding Houses in Gaza Destroyed by Israeli Bombing May Take 80 Years

Israeli military land operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - A UN report released on Thursday stated that the rebuilding of houses in the Gaza Strip could continue into the next century if it follows the trend of previous conflicts.

Nearly seven months of Israeli bombing has caused billions of dollars' worth of damage, reducing many high-rise concrete buildings in the densely populated region to rubble, with one UN official calling it a "moonscape" of destruction.

Palestinian data shows around 80,000 homes have been destroyed as a result of the conflict sparked by the Hamas militant group's attack on southern Israel on October 7. In response, Israeli attacks have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

The assessment, released by the UN Development Program (UNDP), said Gaza would need "around 80 years to restore all completely destroyed housing units" as reported by Reuters, May 2.

However, in a best-case scenario in which construction materials are delivered five times faster than in the last crisis in 2021, this could be completed by 2040, the report said.

The UNDP assessment makes a series of projections on the socio-economic impact of the war based on the duration of the current conflict, projecting ongoing suffering over several decades.

"Unprecedented levels of human loss, capital destruction, and sharp increases in poverty in a short period of time will trigger a serious development crisis that endangers the future of future generations," UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said in a statement.

In a scenario where the war lasts for nine months, poverty would rise from 38.8 percent of Gaza's population at the end of 2023 to 60.7 percent, dragging much of the middle class below the poverty line, the report said.