Gaza's US$71.4 billion reconstruction effort will fail unless Palestinians lead the process, according to a new report by Oxfam and two Palestinian organisations, which argues previous rebuilding efforts were repeatedly undermined by conflict, restrictions and funding shortfalls.
The report, Building Gaza Anew, says rebuilding the territory will cost more than seven times the combined cost of reconstruction following the major conflicts in 2008–09, 2014 and 2021. It argues that past recovery efforts were never completed before renewed fighting destroyed much of the progress made.
The findings draw on the April 2026 Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment by the United Nations, European Union and World Bank, which estimated Gaza has suffered US$57.9 billion in damage and economic losses and will require US$71.4 billion for recovery and reconstruction over the next decade.
Oxfam, the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) and the Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade) said reconstruction should be treated as "a matter of rights and reparations, not charity", with Palestinians directing decisions on governance, priorities and implementation.
The report was developed following consultations across Gaza and sets out recommendations for the U.S.-chaired Board of Peace and international donors. It warns that reconstruction plans imposed externally are unlikely to succeed, regardless of the level of financial support.
Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar said: "Gaza has never been allowed to finish rebuilding. A decade after Israel's 2014 offensive on Gaza, families were still waiting for homes that never came, and then the bombs returned.
"This is not fate. It is Israel's illegal occupation and blockade, and the impunity producing the same result, war after war. Every government that funds the rubble but never the reckoning is complicit in it."
The report comes as international discussions continue over Gaza's future governance and reconstruction, with donors and policymakers debating how rebuilding should be managed alongside longer-term security and political arrangements. Recent proposals have highlighted the challenges of securing funding, establishing governance structures and ensuring reconstruction can proceed without renewed conflict.
Oxfam maintains that lasting recovery will depend not only on financial commitments but also on ensuring Palestinians have ownership of the reconstruction process and are able to rebuild institutions, communities and livelihoods alongside physical infrastructure.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end...
A former Seleka militia leader has been convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of crimes against humanity for his role in the torture ...
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is set to unveil a six-month, $2.45 billion recovery plan for Gaza on Wednesday, covering housin...
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
While addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Washington and Tehran will reach a deal after the U.S. midterm elections.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is set to unveil a six-month, $2.45 billion recovery plan for Gaza on Wednesday, covering housing, infrastructure, healthcare and security, Axios reported.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree pardoning a number of convicted individuals, including French national Martin Ryan, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage in March.
Afghanistan is building new trade and transit links across Asia, but the Taliban government will again be absent from the country’s seat as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
Two of Georgia’s most senior officials used separate appearances in New York this week to deliver a similar message: the South Caucasus is gaining strategic importance, and Tbilisi wants to be at the centre of it.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment