Palestinians seek urgent aid for temporary housing in Gaza

With a brief ceasefire in place, Palestinians are urgently calling for billions of dollars in emergency aid to provide temporary housing and necessary resources, from rubble-clearing machinery to tents and caravans, for those displaced by Israeli airstrikes.

A Palestinian Authority official estimates the immediate need for $6.5 billion to cover temporary shelter for Gaza’s population of over two million, ahead of the massive long-term rebuilding effort.

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff recently projected that rebuilding Gaza could take up to 15 years. However, the immediate priority is ensuring Gazans have somewhere to live.

Hamas, which has reclaimed control of Gaza after a temporary ceasefire last month, has called for 200,000 tents and 60,000 caravans to address the urgent needs of those left homeless.

The group also emphasized the necessity of heavy machinery to clear the vast amounts of rubble left by the conflict. This includes recovering the over 10,000 bodies believed to be buried beneath the debris and clearing space for new housing.

Two Egyptian sources confirmed that heavy equipment was scheduled to enter Gaza through the border as early as Tuesday.

Antoine Renard, an official from the World Food Programme, noted that food imports to Gaza have increased significantly since the ceasefire, now reaching two to three times pre-ceasefire levels.

Barriers to Importing Critical Supplies

However, Renard mentioned ongoing challenges in importing medical and shelter materials, which Israel categorizes as “dual use” items with both civilian and military potential.

“These dual-use items, including medical supplies and tents, are essential to meet Gaza’s immediate needs,” Renard said during a briefing in Geneva.

Over half a million people displaced from northern Gaza have returned to find their homes reduced to rubble. Many have returned with only the belongings they could carry, facing a complete lack of shelter.

Imad Turk, a Gaza businessman whose house and factory were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, shared his distress: “There is no place to stay, no tents, no caravans, and no available rental options. Most of Gaza City is destroyed.”

“We don’t know when reconstruction will start, and we don’t know if the truce will hold. We just don’t want to be forgotten,” Turk told Reuters via a messaging app.

Countries like Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, and China have pledged to assist, but Palestinian officials accuse Israel of delaying aid shipments. Egypt and Qatar played key roles in facilitating the ceasefire.

There has been no response from the Israeli military to requests for comment.

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