Year after fatal clashes, Gaza rebuilding moves slowly

GAZA－After Israeli jets bombed their apartment in a seven-story building in Gaza city last year, Riyad Ishkontana, 35, and his daughter Souzi, 7, were the only survivors of the seven-member family. Ishkontana's wife and four children were killed, and the building they lived in was reduced to debris.

"I am sad about losing my wife and four children and everything in the house, including our beautiful memories," Ishkontana said as he stood on the site where his home used to be, holding his daughter's hand.

More than a year has passed since the deadly clash erupted between Israel and Hamas on May 10, last year that lasted for 11 days and killed more than 200 Palestinians and more than 10 Israelis. The Israeli military offensive, which was launched in response to barrages of rockets fired by militants led by Hamas, stopped after a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt.

After the deadly clash ended, Egypt and Qatar pledged $500 million each for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. Egypt took the responsibility of removing the debris and building new housing in the northern and central Gaza Strip.

Two weeks ago, Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesman of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, said the agency had received $60 million from the donors to renovate and rebuild homes in the coastal enclave.

There has already been some progress in rebuilding, with debris removed from Gaza City. However, most of the devastated buildings, including the al-Jalla' tower, which housed the offices of Al Jazeera TV and The Associated Press, have yet to be rebuilt. In Al-Wahda Street, one of Gaza city's main streets, scars of the Israeli offensive can still be seen.

"Not just me, but hundreds of people in the Gaza Strip have lost their children and their homes, and they are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt," Ishkontana said, adding that "the reconstruction process is going too slowly, and we don't know when our home will be rebuilt".

Naji Sarhan, undersecretary of the Hamas-run ministry of housing and public works, said that during last year's Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip 1,700 housing units were destroyed, including five high-rises, and 60,000 housing units were damaged.

"We have managed to build only 200 housing units since the beginning of the reconstruction plan," Sarhan said, accusing Israel of exerting pressure on the United Nations and other donors to slow down reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

"This is what we see today on the ground, many roads are still in dire need of repair," Sarhan said, adding that this "has frustrated local citizens".

Although there has been no political solution to the conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians since last year's clash, Israel has taken actions to reduce tensions with the Palestinians, mainly in the coastal enclave, by easing curbs and providing working permits to Palestinians working in Israel.

Xinhua