In the midst of a still shaky ceasefire, Gazans are taking the first tentative steps along the long road to recovery.
Bulldozers are clearing roads, shoveling the detritus of war into waiting trucks. Mountains of rubble and twisted metal are everywhere, remnants of bustling neighborhoods now disfigured beyond recognition.
Local residents express their desperation and determination as they sift through ruins, while international plans for reconstruction bring both hope and skepticism.
Among these is the Phoenix plan, a home-grown initiative championed by Gazans, contrasting sharply with glitzy foreign proposals like Trump's controversial Gaza Riviera. As various stakeholders—including Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and international donors—weigh in, the future of Gaza remains uncertain.
With estimates of £53 billion in damage and 300,000 homes destroyed, rebuilding efforts will take years, and many Gazans fear they may not see their neighborhoods restored in their lifetimes.
The outlook is grim but resilient; as one local leader noted, “We want to make sure we have a voice in the rebuilding," emphasizing the importance of community engagement in all recovery plans.
While international summits are planned to address funding needs, the fraught political landscape poses significant challenges to embarking on a new chapter in Gaza’s history—one where hopes for a brighter future must contend with the stark realities of rebuilding from ashes.
