Gaza's Huge Reconstruction Challenge: Key Facts and Figures

Palestinians remove the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli strikes, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, September 4, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Palestinians remove the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli strikes, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, September 4, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Gaza's Huge Reconstruction Challenge: Key Facts and Figures

Palestinians remove the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli strikes, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, September 4, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Palestinians remove the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli strikes, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, September 4, 2024. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Billions of dollars will be needed to rebuild Gaza when the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas ends, according to assessments from the United Nations.

Here is a breakdown of the destruction in Gaza from the conflict prompted by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by militants led by the then Hamas rulers of the long-besieged Palestinian enclave, according to Reuters.

HOW MANY CASUALTIES ARE THERE?

The Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliation has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians and injured around 95,000, according to the Gaza health ministry.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO CLEAR THE RUBBLE?

The United Nations has warned that removing 40 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel's bombardment could take 15 years and cost between $500-600 million.

The debris is believed to be contaminated with asbestos and likely holds human remains. The Palestinian health ministry estimated in May that 10,000 bodies were missing under the rubble.

HOW MANY HOMES HAVE BEEN DESTROYED?

Rebuilding Gaza's shattered homes will take at least until 2040 but could drag on for many decades, according to a UN report released in May.

Palestinian data shows that about 80,000 homes have been destroyed in the conflict.

According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million people across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including some uprooted more than 10 times. The pre-war population was 2.3 million.

WHAT IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE?

The estimated damage to infrastructure totals $18.5 billion, affecting residential buildings, commerce, industry, and essential services such as education, health, and energy, a UN-World Bank report said.

Gaza City has lost nearly all its water production capacity, with 88% of its water wells and 100% of its desalination plants damaged or destroyed, Oxfam said in a recent report.

HOW WILL GAZA FEED ITSELF?

More than half of Gaza's agricultural land, crucial for feeding the war-ravaged territory's hungry population, has been degraded by conflict, satellite images analysed by the United Nations show.

The data reveals a rise in the destruction of orchards, field crops and vegetables in the Palestinian enclave, where hunger is widespread after 11 months of Israeli bombardment.

WHAT ABOUT SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS?

A report from the Gaza Government Media Office in August enumerated the damage to public facilities. The conflict led to the destruction of 200 government facilities, 122 schools and universities, 610 mosques, and three churches.

Amnesty International's Crisis Evidence Lab has highlighted the extent of destruction along Gaza's eastern boundary. As of May 2024, over 90% of the buildings in this area, including more than 3,500 structures, were either destroyed or severely damaged.



What We Know About the Three Border Crossings between Jordan and Israel

A medical service vehicle drives near the site where a truck driver opened fire on the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, near Jericho in the West Bank. (EPA)
A medical service vehicle drives near the site where a truck driver opened fire on the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, near Jericho in the West Bank. (EPA)
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What We Know About the Three Border Crossings between Jordan and Israel

A medical service vehicle drives near the site where a truck driver opened fire on the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, near Jericho in the West Bank. (EPA)
A medical service vehicle drives near the site where a truck driver opened fire on the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, near Jericho in the West Bank. (EPA)

The killing of three Israelis on Sunday in an armed attack by a Jordanian near the King Hussein-Allenby Bridge, from the Jordanian side, has brought attention to the three key border crossings linking Jordan and Israel. These points serve as vital land routes in the region.

While some of these crossings date back to World War I (1914–1918), their modern operation is regulated by the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty, also known as the Wadi Araba Agreement. Here is what we know about them:

The Allenby Bridge (Israeli name) – King Hussein Bridge (Jordanian name) – Al-Karama Bridge (Palestinian name):

Located 57 kilometers from Amman, south of the Jordan Valley, this crossing sits geographically between the other two crossings. It is the only one designated for Palestinians traveling from Jericho.

According to Israeli border authorities, the bridge was originally built during World War I as a passage for British forces between the eastern and western banks of the Jordan River. Initially a simple wooden structure, it has evolved into one of the main crossings between the two sides.

Sheikh Hussein Bridge (Jordanian name) – Northern Crossing or Jordan River Crossing (Israeli name):

This crossing is located 90 kilometers north of Amman, close to the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias).

Established as part of the Jordan-Israel peace agreement, it is used primarily for the passage of Israeli travelers, tourists, and the transport of goods between the two countries.

Wadi Araba Crossing or Southern Crossing (Jordanian name) – Yitzhak Rabin Crossing (Israeli name since 2002):

The southernmost border crossing between Israel and Jordan, it is situated 324 kilometers south of Amman and connects the cities of Eilat and Aqaba near the Red Sea.

This was the first crossing to open between Israel and Jordan following their peace agreement, and it is primarily used by Israelis and foreign tourists, either on foot or by car.