Rebuilding the shattered healthcare system in the besieged Gaza Strip may require at least $10 billion or even more. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) preliminary estimates, this massive amount of funding may be necessary over the next five to seven years.
This information was reported by AFP on Friday, January 17.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ health organization representative in the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, told reporters that a significant amount of funding will be needed to rebuild Gaza’s healthcare system. He stated, “To rebuild Gaza’s healthcare sector alone, more than $3 billion will be required in the first one and a half years, and then $10 billion over the next five to seven years, according to preliminary estimates.”
Peeperkorn added, “We all know very well that the destruction in Gaza is unimaginable. I have not seen anything like this anywhere else in the world during my lifetime.”
The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has already stated that “90 percent of hospitals in Gaza have been turned into rubble.”
Earlier, Hamas and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement to end 15 months of war in the besieged Gaza Strip. After months of negotiations, the two sides reached the agreement on Wednesday, with Qatar playing a key mediating role. Ghebreyesus described the news of the ceasefire as “the best news” and expressed hope that this agreement would mark the end of one of the darkest chapters in the history of relations between Israelis and Palestinians. He urged everyone to welcome this news with great relief.
The ceasefire is set to take effect on Sunday, January 19. The three-phase agreement includes a ceasefire in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the region, and the release of prisoners held by Hamas. However, Israeli attacks on Gaza are still ongoing. Since the announcement of the ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, more than 87 people have been reported killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza.
Key Elements of the Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
As part of the agreement, 33 prisoners held by Hamas will be released in exchange for the release of many Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails. Israeli forces will retreat further east from Gaza’s densely populated residential areas, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. Additionally, hundreds of relief trucks will be allowed to enter Gaza daily.
The second phase of the agreement will involve discussions on the release of the remaining prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces to ensure “sustainable peace.” The third and final phase will focus on Gaza’s reconstruction, which may take many years. Any remaining captives held by Hamas will also be addressed during this phase.