Gaza’s 2023 War Rubble Removal: Is a 15-Year Timeframe Exaggeration?

“Gaza’s 2023 War Rubble Removal: Is a 15-Year Timeframe Exaggeration?” , This is the first paper in a series of policy papers produced by The Social and Economic Policies Monitor (Al Marsad), which formed a research group composed of specialists and scholars from Gaza to clearly and directly reflect the local community’s perspective on reconstruction.

This paper provides a technical analysis of rubble removal, one of the most formidable challenges facing reconstruction efforts. Estimates suggest that more than 35 million tons of rubble have accumulated across Gaza’s governorates—a massive amount that far surpasses the debris left by previous wars. This paper challenges the international organizations’ claims that rubble removal will take fifteen years. The researcher argues that this projection is unreasonable, noting that if debris removal relies on the limited capacity of just 100 trucks, as outlined in the UN’s 15-year timeframe, the process could stretch beyond twenty years. Instead, the paper advocates for involving local, regional, and international companies, employing local labor, and deploying a fleet of 1,000 to 1,500 trucks working extended hours, which could complete the rubble removal within a year.

Prepared by: Eng. Asem Al Nabih