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Rebuilding Gaza Could Take Over A Decade, Says US Envoy

Rebuilding Gaza could take 10 to 15 years due to massive destruction, says US envoy Steve Witkoff after visiting the enclave.

The devastation in Gaza is so extensive that rebuilding the war-torn enclave could take 10 to 15 years, according to Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy. Speaking to Axios at the end of his regional visit on Thursday, Witkoff described the level of destruction as overwhelming.

“People are moving north to get back to their homes and see what happened and turn around and leave … there is no water and no electricity. It is stunning just how much damage occurred there,” he said after visiting Gaza.

Witkoff, a real estate investor with business ties in the Gulf region, was in the Middle East to oversee the implementation of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. His assessment follows Trump’s recent suggestion that Arab nations should consider building housing elsewhere for displaced Gazans. However, any proposal to relocate Palestinians outside Gaza has been firmly rejected by Palestinian leaders and neighboring Arab states since the war began in October 2023.

A UN damage assessment released this month revealed that removing over 50 million tonnes of rubble from Gaza could take up to 21 years and cost $1.2 billion. Much of the debris is believed to be contaminated with asbestos, while thousands of bodies remain trapped beneath the ruins, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

“There is nothing left standing. Many unexploded ordnances. It is not safe to walk there. It is very dangerous. I wouldn’t have known this without going there and inspecting,” he said.

Witkoff emphasised the long-term challenges of rebuilding, noting that the situation on the ground is far more dire than anticipated.

“There has been this perception that we can get a solid plan for Gaza in five years. But it’s impossible. This is a 10 to 15-year rebuilding plan,” he said. “There is nothing left standing. Many unexploded ordnances. It is not safe to walk there. It is very dangerous.”

Melissa Enoch

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