This amount, resulting from a study carried out jointly by the World Bank (WB), the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), is the first estimate of the effects of bombings and ground combats carried out by the army of Israeli occupation for six months and corresponds to the equivalent of 97% of the GDP of the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories. The report takes into account the destruction carried out between the start of the conflict and the end of January.

The destruction of housing represents a large part of these “critical infrastructures” destroyed (72%), ahead of health, education and “conveniences (water, electricity)” (19%), the rest concerning commercial and industrial equipment. .

Now more than a million people are homeless, out of the 2.2 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip before the start of the conflict, twice as many as the previous estimate, published in mid-December. Worse still, more than half of the population is close to famine, while the entire population is malnourished or food insecure.

As for health equipment, 84% of them were destroyed or damaged, compared to 60% at the end of 2023, and those still operating have almost no water or electricity to treat their patients or the injured.

The running water and sanitation system is only operating at 5% of its capacity at the beginning of October; and the Ghazawi education system is considered to have completely collapsed, with all of Ghaza’s children being out of school. While half of the road network was destroyed in mid-December, this is now the case for 92% of the primary road network, while the telecommunications network is considered to be “seriously compromised”.

The report also identifies the most essential actions to begin reconstruction, starting with an increase in humanitarian aid and food production, the provision of large-scale shelter and the resumption of essential services. Israel’s horrific aggression against Gaza has already left nearly 33,000 dead, mostly civilians.

The American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, also called on Israel to do more to “protect innocent civilians”, after the death on Monday of seven workers from the American NGO World Central Kitchen, killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza.

The White House, for its part, said it was “outraged” after the death of seven employees of the NGO World Central Kitchen and assured that humanitarian workers must be protected. President Joe Biden spoke with the founder of the NGO, Spanish chef José Andres, saying he was “heartbroken,” said White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, adding that he “will send a clear message to Israel that humanitarian workers must be protected.”

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna said Israel must provide explanations, name those responsible and “compensate” the families of the seven humanitarian workers, including a Pole, from the American NGO World Central Kitchen, killed in Gaza during an Israeli strike. Israeli authorities must establish “who should be held criminally responsible for pressing a certain button” and consider “how to compensate the families of the victims, even if it is impossible to do so with money” , Mr. Szejna told private radio ZET.

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