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The
reconstruction of Gaza
The wave of
attacks unleashed by the Israeli army against the
Gaza Strip during the months of July and August
killed more than 2,140 Palestinians, mostly women
and children.
These
indiscriminate bombings left nearly 11,000 wounded,
who suffer permanent disability, not only due to the
severity of their injuries, but also the
precariousness of health care in Gazan territory.
The
Palestinians, who carry the pain of the loss of
their loved ones, now have to rebuild a region
buried under the rubble left by Israeli bombs.
The territory
has been almost completely destroyed. The
humanitarian situation in Gaza is deplorable;
schools, hospitals, industries and thousands of
homes were totally or partially destroyed during the
fighting.
The men and
women of Palestine deserve a lasting peace, to begin
with they will need to rebuild their homes. The
images of apparent calm show a city covered with
debris, which will take several years to rise again.
The main
problems are in infrastructure, 360 square
kilometers of the strip were destroyed: homes,
buildings, private property, water networks,
electricity transmission and the only existing
generating plant.
According to a
report by the Palestinian Ministry of Information,
about $5 billion will be needed for the recovery of
the area.
Data collected
by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) reported that 38,000 homes were
seriously damaged, of which 17,200 were destroyed,
leaving almost 110,000 Palestinians homeless.
The bombs
dropped by the Zionist army also targetted 216
schools and 58 hospitals and health centers.
Al Wafa, the only center for rehabilitation, is now
closed for demolition, while approximately 373,000
children urgently need psychosocial support for war
trauma.
Vital services
such as water supply are in shortage and nearly 40%
of the population depends on the water trucks
scattered around the city.
The fear and desperation of Gazans contrasts with
the benefits to companies producing and exporting
cement and metal, whose pockets fill with the
reconstruction of the Strip.
Of vital
importance is the international aid that can’t reach
Gaza without first having the consent of Israel or
Egypt-countries with which it share its borders –
controlling access to the entire arsenal needed to
rebuild the city.
So under what
circumstances and how quickly will it be possible to
rebuild Gaza, considering the blockade imposed by
Israel since 2007?
For several
years the Palestinian authorities have condemned the
blockade that affects trade relations in the region
and causes enormous difficulties for humanitarian
convoys to enter the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli
blockade restricts the entry of construction
materials on the grounds that Hamas uses them to
build underground fortifications and tunnels.
Following
discussions with the Palestinian National Authority
(PNA), the Zionist government has asked that the UN
or other international agencies be responsible for
controlling the entry of these goods into the
territory.
In late October
the talks between Palestine and Israel will resume,
with headquarters in the Egyptian capital, to
address unresolved items from the last meeting,
including presumably the recovery of Gaza.
Cairo will host
a donor conference organized jointly by the
governments of Norway and Egypt, in coordination
with the PNA to raise funds to rebuild Gaza.
Israel has said
that it is the PNA who should oversee the grants and
building materials that arrive. This could be a sign
of a real truce, but some international observers
believe is a Netanyahu government strategy to sow
division between Hamas and Fatah and provoke a new
conflict.
Meanwhile,
during the talks in Cairo both Palestinian factions
(Fatah and Hamas) reached an agreement on a unity
government to take immediate control of the Gaza
Strip and direct the commission created for the
reconstruction.
The agreement
made in order for the PNA to return to Gaza, in
which Egypt acted as mediator, will enable the
unification of civil institutions and security, plus
it signifies a "step towards international donors
trusting in the efforts of the PNA to rebuild Gaza,"
Musa Abu Marzouk, head of the Hamas delegation
acknowledged.
This consensus
between the Islamist group Hamas, which controlled
Gaza since 2007, and the nationalist Fatah party
aims to unite the Palestinians in this difficult
situation. While arrangements for the establishment
of this government of reconciliation were completed
in April, their realization is now essential in view
of the upcoming donor conference.
For the nations
willing to collaborate, not only is the achievement
of a lasting truce to allow for the resurrection of
Gaza vital, but also the understanding between the
Palestinian parties.
But restoring
life to Gaza will depend not only on the efforts or
donations that may be obtained; we will have to wait
until late October to learn if the ceasefire agreed
between Palestinians and Israelis on August 26
remains in place. Otherwise, war, pain and of course
destruction will return to Gaza.
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