Gaza's recovery plan stalls as disarmament demand blocks $71 billion rebuild
A $71.4 billion recovery plan for Gaza faces a standoff over Hamas disarmament, while about 82 per cent of structures lie damaged.
Almost three years after the October 7 attacks, Gaza is largely destroyed. About 82 per cent of buildings are damaged, and nearly two-thirds of the population now lives in tents or makeshift shelters.
Estimates suggest a total recovery plan could cost $US71.4 billion over a decade, with the Board of Peace proposing a first phase of $US2.45 billion starting in 2027. Reconstruction depends on Hamas disarming, which Hamas has tied to an Israeli withdrawal.
That withdrawal has not happened. Civil Defence teams are still recovering bodies from strikes that occurred years ago, using a single excavator and working by hand.
The work is dangerous and slow: Israel restricts "dual-use" materials (goods it says could be military), blocking machinery and supplies regularly.
Why it mattersA reconstruction freeze leaves millions in Gaza in immediate hardship and means no homes, schools or jobs rebuild while political conditions remain unmet.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, but the stalled plan shows how geopolitical disputes over Gaza's future prevent basic recovery for an entire population.
Corroborated bytheconversation.com
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 5 h ago
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