After two years of genocidal war, Gaza lies beneath an ocean of ruins, a landscape so devastated that experts describe it as one of the largest reconstruction challenges of the modern era. Local assessments suggest more than 70 million tonnes of rubble now blanket the territory, with unexploded munitions buried deep within the debris. Each collapsed building hides both danger and memory, turning every attempt to rebuild into a perilous act of survival.

With the blockade still choking the entry of heavy equipment and materials, even the first step of clearing the wreckage appears painfully out of reach. UN estimates indicate that debris removal alone could take more than a decade, while the total cost of reconstruction may exceed 55 billion US dollars. Two-thirds of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed; power grids, water systems and sanitation networks have collapsed. Families displaced by the bombardment remain trapped in tents or amid shattered homes, living among the dust of what once was.

Beyond the visible devastation lies an invisible crisis, the health and environmental hazards of decomposing debris, toxic substances, and unexploded ordnance. Aid groups warn that without swift international intervention, Gaza risks sinking deeper into a long-term humanitarian catastrophe. What is left of the Strip stands as both a graveyard of the past and a fragile test of humanity’s willingness to help rebuild hope from the rubble.