A senior UN official in Gaza has cautioned that the reconstruction of the war-torn Palestinian territory will be a protracted endeavor, despite the influx of humanitarian aid following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Sam Rose, the acting director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in Gaza, highlighted the extensive needs beyond mere physical reconstruction.
“We’re not just talking about food, healthcare, buildings, roads, infrastructure. We’ve got individuals, families, communities that need to be rebuilt,” Rose explained to the BBC. The ceasefire, which came into effect on Sunday, has allowed over 630 aid lorries to enter Gaza, with a significant portion directed towards the north. Rose expressed optimism that this number would increase, aiming for at least 600 lorries per day, including 50 carrying fuel, as stipulated in the ceasefire terms.
This deal also involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, during a six-week initial phase. The cessation of hostilities has markedly eased the logistical challenges of aid distribution, with Rose noting, “We’re no longer moving through an active conflict zone. We no longer need to coordinate all these movements with the Israeli authorities.” However, he cautioned against measuring Gaza’s recovery solely by aid volume, pointing to the deep psychological and social scars left by the conflict.
The trauma experienced by Gaza’s population is profound, with most having lost homes, loved ones, or both. “It’s going to be a long, long process of rehabilitation and rebuilding,” Rose emphasized, underscoring the need for a comprehensive approach to recovery.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined a 60-day plan to revive Gaza’s health system, focusing on urgent repairs to hospitals, many of which are out of service or only partially functional, setting up temporary clinics, and tackling malnutrition and disease outbreaks.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the humanitarian needs in Gaza as “staggering.” The crisis has been exacerbated by military restrictions, hostilities, and a breakdown in law and order, according to UN officials. Israel, however, maintains that there are no limits on aid entry and accuses UN agencies of distribution failures, alongside alleging Hamas of aid theft, claims which Hamas rejects.
The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and led to the taking of 251 hostages, has resulted in over 47,000 deaths and 111,000 injuries in Gaza, according to the local health ministry. The devastation has left much of the 2.3 million population displaced, with 60% of buildings damaged or destroyed, and critical systems like healthcare, water, and sanitation collapsing.
The UN-backed IPC has reported dire food insecurity, with famine looming in parts of northern Gaza. The ceasefire offers a temporary respite, but as residents like Manal Abu al-Dragham, who returned to find her home in ruins, attest, the road to recovery is fraught with challenges. “The whole place looked as if it had been hit by an earthquake due to the severity of the aggression,” she told BBC Arabic, expressing her determination to remain on her land despite the destruction.