Mamdouh Abu al-Alwan is one of the many Palestinians trying to retrieve traces of his life and rebuild his house, despite cement and other basic building materials being largely unavailable in Gaza.
With no other options, Alwan uses mud to piece together scattered blocks left behind by Israeli strikes. He also uses scraps of cloth to cover gaps left exposed due to a shortage of materials.
“Since there are no materials used in buildings, we have no choice but to rebuild our home using mud and cover the rest of it with cloth to keep us from cold and insects. As you can see, we are living in devastation and everything is leveled to the ground,” Alwan told Rudaw.
Tens of families in Gaza are gradually returning to parts of the enclave where Israeli forces have eased airstrikes, including Gaza City, and other areas in the north and center.
Many parts of the enclave are in ruins, and it could take up to 350 years to rebuild if it remains under continued blockage, according to the United Nations.
Satellite imagery analysis by UNOSAT in late September showed that that a total of 163,778 structures affected in the Gaza Strip had been damaged or destroyed since October 7, which accounts for 66% of all structures in the Gaza Strip.
The destruction has left much of Gaza’s population without basic living necessities such as a kitchen and a bathroom, let alone living spaces.
“This is the condition of our life. We don’t have a kitchen, and the bathroom is in a worse shape,” said Salih Akhras, a Palestinian from Khan Younis’ eastern neighborhood of al-Mawasi.
“We are doing everything we can to keep clean here to avoid diseases, as you know diseases recently have been spread,” Akhras lamented.
Many areas in the enclave also face inadequate food supplies.
“We as residents of destroyed areas are confronted by different challenges. There’s a lack of flour and food. The food is unaffordable and not available." said Abu Ouda, a Khan Younis resident.
The Famine Review Committee (FRC) alerted on Friday that there is a “strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas” in northern Gaza, calling on international actors to take urgent action to avert an imminent “catastrophic situation.”
The warning comes amid a deadline for Israel by the US to address humanitarian concerns in Gaza or face a possible ban on US military supplies.
On October 7 of last year, Palestinian Hamas militants launched a large-scale incursion into southern Israel, killing more than 1,170 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a massive ongoing offensive in Gaza, killing at least 43,500 people, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
