Rebuilding homes in Gaza requires careful consideration of rubble and debris

Gaza City Residents Turn to Temporary Housing Solutions Amid Ongoing Reconstruction Efforts

In Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood, a 31-year-old resident is working on a small, makeshift home using stones from his destroyed building and mud. Mohammed al-Jadba’s family of 10 has been living in tents since the October ceasefire, but he has decided to use available materials to build a more permanent shelter.

The structure, which has taken four months to complete, features walls made from a mixture of mud and human hair, as well as stones extracted from the rubble. Mohammed collected iron, window frames, and door frames from his old home to construct the building. Despite initial concerns about its durability, the walls have proven stronger than expected.

Mohammed’s motivation for building the structure is not only to find shelter but also to ensure a minimum level of safety due to ongoing gunfire from Israeli forces stationed nearby. His mother was injured by a bullet last week and was taken to hospital, prompting him to accelerate construction.

The United Nations estimates that it will cost $70 billion to fully reconstruct Gaza, which has been devastated by Israeli bombing and deliberate demolition. However, no large-scale reconstruction has taken place due to continued Israeli restrictions on the entry of construction materials and heavy machinery.

Instead, Palestinians in Gaza have focused on partial reconstruction, using available materials until they can import more durable ones. The goal is to make partially damaged homes habitable and protect residents from the elements.

Source: Al Jazeera