Two years since the Gaza war, activists and NGOs complain of failed reconstruction
AIDA, an NGO, releases a report complaining that reconstruction is “painfully slow”. It took the UN over a year to start rebuilding the first bombed out homes. Those accused of war crimes have not yet been prosecuted. Israel’s blockade against Gaza remains an obstacle.
Gaza (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Two years after Gaza's last devastating conflict with Israel, rights groups in Israel and Palestine vented frustration Thursday over the slow pace of reconstruction in the Palestinian territory and the failure to prosecute war crimes. The coalition of NGOs urged Israel to lift its blockade on the impoverished Gaza Strip
The 51-day war in July-August 2014 war between Israel and Gaza militants killed more than 2,251 Palestinians (including 1,462 civilians, one third of whom children) and 74 people on the Israeli side (including seven civilians), and destroyed or damaged thousands of homes in Gaza.
According to a report by the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), two years since the war (which began on 8 July), reconstruction has been "painfully slow". It took the United Nations over a year to rebuild the first bombed out house.
Israel has maintained a blockade on the enclave, limiting the entry of many goods essential for construction.
The AIDA statement called on "world leaders to live up to their commitments and press for an immediate end to the blockade."
In a separate report, Amnesty International said only three Israeli soldiers have been charged over the war, all for minor offenses.
In Gaza, many areas remain desolated and the economy has ground to a standstill. More than 120,000 homes were at least partly damaged, while around 20,000 were left totally uninhabitable in the war.
Local unemployment rate of 45 per cent is one of the highest in the world, while child labour has doubled over the past five years.
Fears of another conflict with Israel, which would be the fourth since 2008, have grown in recent months.
Meanwhile, leaders on both sides say they are ready for a new war, fuelling fears among hopeless civilians.
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09/09/2022 17:16
