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Only 40% of Gaza's destroyed homes during Israel 2014 war have been rebuilt

March 13, 2017 at 2:22 am

Smoke and dust rise following an Israeli air strike in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, on July 8, 2014 [SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images]

After three years have passed, 40 per cent of the Palestinian homes destroyed during Israel’s 2014 war in Gaza Strip have been repaired, the Director of Gaza’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Nagy Al-Sarhan, revealed on Sunday.

Speaking on the side-lines of a press conference on Sunday, Al-Sarhan said that this percentage represent some 5,000 residential units.

He explained that some of the neighbouring countries have recently allocated some financial donations for the reconstruction of 3,000 units, adding that the ministry has not yet received any funds for the rebuilding of the remaining 4,000 residential units in the Gaza Strip.

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Al-Sarhan pointed out that the number of demolished homes during the Israeli war amounted to 12,000 units, adding that the partially destroyed buildings represent 60 per cent of the total demolished buildings during the aggression.

The ministry director noted that the reconstruction fund deficit has amounted to about $400 million.

On the other hand, Sarhan said that the rebuilding of the destroyed buildings in the industrial, agricultural and infrastructure sectors does not exceed 10 per cent of the total war damages.

He pointed out that a total of 15,000 housing units were damaged during the Gaza war, including 2,000 completely destroyed and another 13,000 partially damaged, adding that the ministry has not yet received any foreign funds for their rebuilding.

#GazaUnderAttack

In July 2014, the Gaza Strip was exposed to a massive Israeli strikes that lasted for 51 days, during which some 2,324 Palestinians were killed while thousands were wounded. The aggression had completely demolished 12,000 housing units, while partially damaging another 16,000 units, of which 6,600 uninhabitable units.