Six Palestinians were killed on Tuesday in the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, despite a ceasefire agreement reached last October. Meanwhile, a United Nations and European Union assessment estimated recovery and reconstruction needs in the strip at approximately $71.4 billion over the next decade.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that an Israeli drone carried out a strike this morning near the Sheikh Nasser neighborhood, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, killing one. The occupation army also opened fire from warships on a woman in the Salatin area, west of Beit Lahia in the northern strip.
According to the agency, those killed were Saadi Hilal Abu Hilal, Majed Abu Moussa, Mohamed Mustafa Al-Mo'men Abu Hilal, Heba Jamal Abu Shaqfa, the child Abdullah Dawas, and Darwish Saeb Al-Attal, who had been married for only a few days. Hospitals in the strip received seven dead and 21 wounded during the past 24 hours as a result of the continuous Israeli aggression.
The total number of fatalities since the October 11 ceasefire agreement has reached 784, in addition to more than 2,000 injured. Meanwhile, the occupation army announced the death of five of its soldiers in the strip during the same period, according to Sky News Arabia.
In a related context, an assessment issued by the United Nations and the European Union showed that recovery and reconstruction needs in Gaza are estimated at $71.4 billion over the next decade. This includes $26.3 billion required in the first 18 months to restore basic services, rebuild critical infrastructure, and support economic recovery.
According to a UN statement on Monday, the assessment, conducted in cooperation with the World Bank, estimated physical damage to infrastructure at $35.2 billion, while economic and social losses amounted to $22.7 billion.
The report noted that “entire sectors [had] been devastated,” including housing, health, education, commerce, and agriculture. More than 371,888 housing units were destroyed or damaged, more than 50% of hospitals are out of service, and almost all schools were destroyed or damaged. The economy in Gaza has contracted by 84%.
The report highlighted the devastating impact on human development in Gaza, which is estimated to have regressed by 77 years. More than 60% of the population has lost their homes, with women, children, persons with disabilities, and the most vulnerable groups bearing the greatest burden.
The EU and the UN emphasized that recovery and reconstruction processes must be Palestinian-led and include a “build back better” approach. This supports the active transition of governance to the Palestinian Authority in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and the US-backed comprehensive plan, as well as promoting a lasting political settlement based on the two-state solution.
In late November, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2803, submitted by the US, regarding the establishment of an “International Interim Advisory Force for Stability in the Gaza Strip,” which was later named the Global Board of Peace led by US President Donald Trump.
The EU and the UN acknowledged that several conditions are necessary to implement the resolution. These include a sustained ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access and immediate restoration of basic services, freedom of movement for individuals, goods, and reconstruction materials within and between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, a functional and transparent financial system, clear and accountable governance, debris clearance, explosive ordnance management, and resolution of housing, land, and property rights.
