Most of the Gaza Strip has been reduced to ruins, with its territory buried under 68 million tons of debris, and clearing it is expected to cost over $1 trillion, The Wall Street Journal reported.
As a result of thousands of Israeli airstrikes, ground fighting, and controlled explosions in the enclave, more than 123,000 buildings have been destroyed, and another 75,000 have suffered varying degrees of damage. This amounts to 81% of all structures in the territory, according to the latest UN satellite imagery analysis. Clearing Gaza in preparation for reconstruction will be a colossal task, expected to take years and cost more than $1 trillion, the report said.
Since the start of hostilities in Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces have dropped approximately 70,000 tons of shells and bombs on the enclave. An analysis by the international NGO Handicap International indicates that 5–10% of these munitions failed to detonate.
Large-scale debris removal can only begin if Israeli authorities allow heavy machinery and equipment into Gaza to clear rubble and safely dispose of unexploded ordnance, the report notes.
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Based on materials from TASS