The battle over Gaza's future: Why no one can agree on the rebuild
In the midst of a still shaky ceasefire, Gazans are taking the first tentative steps along the long road to recovery.
Bulldozers are clearing roads, shovelling the detritus of war into waiting trucks. Mountains of rubble and twisted metal are on either side, the remains of once bustling neighbourhoods. Parts of Gaza City are disfigured beyond recognition.
Abu Iyad Hamdouna, a 63-year-old resident, points to the mangled heap of concrete that used to be his home. There's no house left, he laments.
With close to £53bn ($70bn) needed for recovery and almost 300,000 homes destroyed, the situation is grim. Residents are sifting through the wreckage, uncertain of what plans will take shape. The UN claims the Strip holds approximately 60 million tonnes of rubble and unexploded explosives.
Plans varying from the locally driven Phoenix plan to the glamorous 'Gaza Riviera' proposed by President Trump highlight the yearning for a future where Gazans can reclaim their identity and rebuild. Yet, those able to enact change often overlook local voices, raising concerns that external ideas might not reflect the community's needs.
As long as the ceasefire wavers, Abu Iyad and his neighbors remain focused on immediate survival, voicing their discontent with luxury-oriented visions. We are sitting making tents, next to the house we still cannot live in, he says.
The path to recovery remains long and uncertain for Gaza, with the struggle for a meaningful and inclusive reconstruction plan far from over.
