REBUILDING GAZA NEEDS TRUST, NOT JUST MONEY

Only a united Palestinian vision and global commitment can make reconstruction real

- BY FAHAD ESSA ALMAHRI | Special to Gulf News

There is a wide consensus that the latest and most devastating Israeli war on Gaza marks a turning point in its future. Widespread destruction has affected everything — human lives and infrastructure — leaving Gaza nearly uninhabitable. As the conflict rages on, the human and material losses continue to rise, with over 60,000 dead and nearly 150,000 injured. Yet even in the midst of this devastation, we must think ahead. This war will end, eventually. And when it does, more than two million Palestinians — trapped in a small, besieged strip — will still hope for a future without war, where their basic rights are respected and their suffering finally ends.

Visions for Gaza's future are as divided as the parties to the conflict. Some may hope that worsening conditions will push Palestinians to abandon their land. But even in the best-case scenario, it could take up to 10 years to rebuild Gaza if funding is available and reconstruction begins without obstacles.

The damage goes far beyond buildings. Before the war, unemployment was already around 50 per cent. Now it's even worse, with almost no productive projects or job opportunities for more than two million Palestinians. Most of Gaza's residents are either displaced or, at best, living in tents due to repeated evacuations enforced by the Israeli military.

The danger of hopelessness