A massive and deadly challenge looms over Gaza, where an estimated 60 to 70 million tonnes of rubble now blanket the territory, creating a hazardous environment that severely impedes recovery efforts and poses a grave threat to returning civilians .
The scale of destruction in Gaza is virtually unparalleled, with the vast majority of its buildings damaged or destroyed. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reports that the level of destruction across the strip is now around 84%, rising to as high as 92% in parts of Gaza City . This devastation has generated the staggering amount of rubble, estimated by BBC Verify to be over 60 million tonnes . A UN assessment using satellite imagery from April 2025 has been conducted to begin quantifying this conflict-generated debris . The World Bank estimates that damages to physical structures alone amount to about $30 billion, with housing accounting for more than half of this total destruction .
Clearing the rubble is not merely a logistical task; it is a life-threatening one. The debris is contaminated with an unknown number of unexploded ordnances (UXOs), such as large aircraft bombs, mortars, and anti-tank weapons . The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) estimates that between 5% to 10% of the munitions fired into Gaza failed to detonate on impact, leaving a deadly legacy buried in the wreckage . Since the ceasefire began, informal reports indicate at least 24 additional victims from these explosives . Furthermore, the rubble itself is hazardous, likely containing toxic substances like asbestos, industrial waste, and heavy metals, which pose long-term health and environmental risks .
The immense task of clearing Gaza is being systematically obstructed. Authorities are facing a severe shortage of the heavy equipment and machinery required for such an operation, with reports indicating that key items like armored vehicles for demining teams have been blocked from entering the territory . To put the challenge in perspective, a former executive from the heavy machinery company JCB stated that the first step must be making bombed-out sites safe, followed by a complex process of sorting, separating, and crushing the debris before any true reconstruction can begin . This work is further complicated by the sheer volume of rubble in a densely populated urban area and complex property disputes . With the current limitations, progress is painstakingly slow, evidenced by the fact that a recent cleanup of main roads in Gaza involved just ten bulldozers financed by Qatar .
The path from clearing rubble to rebuilding Gaza is expected to be a matter of decades, not years . The United Nations predicts the total cost of reconstruction will be a staggering $70 billion . Rebuilding will require the mass import of materials, a process historically slowed by restrictions on goods like concrete, which Israel argues could be diverted for military purposes . Experts suggest that a fundamental change in approach is needed, including the construction of a deep-water port to bring in thousands of container-loads of supplies . The future of reconstruction is also tied to unresolved political questions, including the establishment of a functioning government in Gaza and stable security arrangements that can coordinate this mammoth effort.