GAZA CITY: Delayed rebuilding efforts in Gaza have annoyed locals, with many nonetheless dwelling in short-term accomodation a yr after the top of fierce combating.
Ayman Dahman has lived together with his household for greater than a yr in a rented home after his house was destroyed through the Palestinian-Israel battle in Could final yr.
Dahman doesn’t know when his outdated residence — which he’s nonetheless paying installments on — shall be reconstructed.
The Gaza Strip has witnessed 4 conflicts, the final of which was in Could 2021. The combating that yr lasted for 11 days, throughout which about 1,700 housing items have been utterly destroyed.
“I purchased my residence some years earlier than the battle, and I nonetheless pay the installments from my month-to-month wage. Now I reside with my spouse and two daughters and two sons in an residence I rented after the battle; we don’t know after we will return to our house once more,” Dahman mentioned.
Dahman and his household used to reside in a five-storey constructing inhabited by 10 households, within the north of Gaza Metropolis.
The United Nations Reduction and Works Company for Refugees paid hire allowance to 154 Palestinian households whose houses have been utterly demolished through the battle, together with the Dahman household.
Naji Sarhan, undersecretary on the Ministry of Public Works in Gaza, mentioned that not more than 20 p.c of the broken properties have been reconstructed because the finish of the battle final yr.
“What has been achieved and what’s underway within the housing sector up to now doesn’t exceed 20 p.c of the utterly destroyed homes, and 70 p.c of the partially broken homes,” Sarhan mentioned at a press convention in Gaza on Sunday.
He added: “There are not any commitments for the reconstruction of the high-rise and multi-storey residential buildings that have been bombed and demolished by the occupation through the aggression of final Could.”
Final yr, Egypt and Qatar pledged $1 billion to rebuild the post-war Gaza Strip.
“Many pleasant nations started pledging to rebuild Gaza after the aggression on the town final yr, led by Egypt with a grant of $500 million, and Qatar with a grant of $500 million, along with some sporadic grants of restricted quantities supplied by nations and establishments,” Sarhan mentioned.
Egypt additionally started building on Gaza’s 1.8-kilometer-long Corniche Avenue, three residential communities comprising 117 buildings with a complete of greater than 2,500 housing items, along with a building plan for a bridge within the Shujaiya space, and an open tunnel within the Saraya neighborhood.
In the meantime, Qatar has began building of 200 housing items, along with the restoration of 11 residential buildings that have been partially broken. It is usually repairing various destroyed avenue intersections with a pledge to proceed the reconstruction course of, Sarhan mentioned.
Fears over new rounds of combating between Israel and Hamas have mounted amid tensions over preparations by Israelis to conduct a flag march on Could 29 in Jerusalem. An analogous transfer led to the outbreak of violence final yr.
Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, mentioned throughout a convention held in Gaza: “We’re following the threats to storm the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Could 29, or set up a march of flags.
“I warn the enemy towards committing such crimes and such steps.”
Palestinians in Gaza are divided over help for a brand new confrontation.
Supporters of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a few supporters of the Standard Entrance for the Liberation of Palestine specific a willingness to confront Israel over flag marches. Others worry that any battle would solely add to the financial woes of the Gaza Strip.
