Rebuilding Gaza to cost $71bn, must include Palestinians, report finds

What Happened

A joint report by Oxfam, the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS), and the Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade) estimates that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will cost $71.4 billion over the next decade. This figure, derived from a UN-EU-World Bank Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, accounts for the destruction of 371,888 housing units and 93 percent of school buildings, alongside the accumulation of 66 million tonnes of rubble. The report asserts that recovery efforts must prioritize direct Palestinian involvement to avoid external control over the territory's future.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The projected $71.4 billion cost represents seven times the combined expenditure of all previous reconstruction efforts in Gaza over the last two decades. The scale of destruction, including the loss of critical infrastructure and the presence of 66 million tonnes of debris containing unexploded ordnance and human remains, presents a multi-year logistical and political challenge that requires significant international funding and coordination.

Watch For

Monitor the implementation of the proposed four-phase roadmap, which requires $10 billion for initial emergency relief and stabilization, and the potential involvement of Gulf Arab states, Egypt, and international agencies in funding and managing the debris clearance and infrastructure restoration phases.