Russian media outlet Sputnik quoted Musa Abu Marzouk, a member of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), as saying, “We believe that the occupation forces are primarily responsible for the destruction of the Gaza Strip, so the costs of reconstruction should be borne by the occupation forces.”
UN Security Council resolutions emphasize the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, he added.
He said the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip must be carried out immediately and completely, including in all areas, especially infrastructure, health care, roads, power plants and water networks.
New international estimates show that rebuilding the Gaza Strip will require between $50 billion and $80 billion.
US President Donald Trump has called on countries in the region to fund the recovery process, overseen by Washington, and the Arab League and Egypt are developing a comprehensive recovery plan with international and European support.
The World Bank, United Nations, and European Union released the first official damage assessment report for the Gaza Strip on April 2, 2024.
Therefore, the cost of damage to critical infrastructure in Gaza is estimated at approximately $18.5 billion. This is equivalent to 97% of the combined GDP of the West Bank and Gaza in 2022.
“More than half of Gaza’s population is on the brink of starvation, and the entire population experiences severe food insecurity and malnutrition,” the World Bank report said.
“More than 1 million people have lost their homes and 75% of the population has been displaced,” the report added.
“The devastating cumulative impact on physical and mental health is hitting women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities hardest, with the youngest children expected to face lifelong impacts on their development,” the group stressed.
Last week, leaders and representatives from more than 20 countries gathered in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to sign the so-called Gaza peace agreement under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point initiative. The meeting was co-chaired by President Trump and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
Despite Israel’s repeated violations of the agreement over the past 10 days, President Trump said the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains in effect and stressed that the United States is working to ensure the situation is “very peaceful.”
Israel’s war in Gaza since October 2023 has claimed the lives of more than 68,000 Palestinians and injured more than 170,000.
MNA/IRN