UN estimates Gaza reconstruction could take until 2040

The war in the Gaza Strip has destroyed more than 370,000 homes and repair work could take until at least 2040, the UN office in Jordan estimated in a report released Thursday.

If the war in Gaza ended Thursday, it would have to wait until 2040 to rebuild all the homes destroyed by nearly seven months of bombing and ground offensives, according to a document cited by The Associated Press.

“Every day of war exacts enormous and growing costs for the people of Gaza and all Palestinians,” said UN Development Program Administrator Achim Steiner.

A new report from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia describes how Israel’s attack, launched after the Hamas massacre on October 7 last year, has devastated the Palestinian territories’ economy and foreseees the fallout caused by the conflict.

Following previous clashes between Israel and Hamas, 992 houses were rebuilt each year.

Even if Israel allows the import of construction materials into Gaza, it will have to wait until 2040 to rebuild destroyed houses “without repairing damaged ones,” the report says.

The calculation is based on the fact that Israel allows the import of construction materials in quantities five times higher than what took place before 2023.

The Gaza Strip, home to some 2.3 million Palestinians, has been under blockade by Israel and Egypt since Hamas took power in 2007, maintaining tight controls on access to and travel into the territory.

The war also affected the West Bank, where Israel imposed travel restrictions for several months.

In 2024, the entire Palestinian economy, including Gaza and the West Bank, has suffered a 25.8% contraction so far, and if the war continues, losses could reach 29% in July, equivalent to $7.6 billion, according to the same report .