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After two years of war, Gaza is buried under more than 61 million tonnes of debris and three quarters of buildings have been destroyed, according to UN data analysed by AFP.The fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which came into effect on October 10 under pressure from US President Donald Trump, opens the way for the reconstruction of the devastated territory.This will require managing the immense amount of rubble.As of July 8, 2025, the Israeli army had damaged or destroyed nearly 193,000 buildings in the densely populated territory, representing about 78 percent of existing structures before the conflict began on October 7, 2023, according to satellite analysis by the United Nations' UNOSAT programme.In an assessment of images from September 22-23 of Gaza City, the UN agency estimated that an even higher proportion -- 83 percent -- of buildings there had been damaged or destroyed.The total 61.5 million tonnes of debris is nearly 170 times the weight of New York's Empire State Building and is equivalent to over 169 kilogrammes of debris for each square metre of Gaza's small territory.Nearly two-thirds of the debris was made in the first five months of the war, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).The destruction of buildings also accelerated in the months leading up to the current ceasefire.Eight million tonnes of debris were generated from April to July 2025, mostly in the southern part of the territory between Rafah and Khan Yunis.A preliminary analysis published by UNEP in August warned the debris poses a serious health risk to the exposed population.The UN agency suggests that at least 4.9 million tonnes of debris could be contaminated with asbestos from old buildings, particularly near refugee camps such as those in Jabaliya in the north, Nuseirat and al-Maghazi in the centre, and Rafah and Khan Yunis in the south.UNEP also reports at least 2.9 million tonnes of debris could be contaminated with "hazardous waste from known industrial sites".

The UN's health agency pleaded Friday for thousands of people in desperate need of medical care to be allowed to leave Gaza, in what it said would be a "game-changer".The World Health Organisation has supported the medical evacuation of nearly 7,800 patients out of the Gaza Strip since the war with Israel began two years ago -- and estimates there are 15,000 people currently needing treatment outside the Palestinian territory.But a US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on October 10 has not sped up the process -- the WHO has been able to evacuate only 41 critical patients since then.Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories, called for all crossings out of Gaza into Israel and Egypt to be opened up during the ceasefire -- not only for the entry of aid but for medical evacuations too."All medical corridors need to be opened," he said, particularly to hospitals in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as happened routinely before the war."It is vital and is the most cost-effective route. If that route opened, it would really be a... game-changer."Speaking via video link from Jerusalem, he told journalists in Geneva that two evacuations were planned for next week, but he wanted them every day and said the WHO was ready to take "a minimum of 50 patients per day".At the current rate, he said evacuating the 15,000 people needing treatment -- including 4,000 children -- would drag on for a decade or so.The WHO says more than 700 people have died waiting for medical evacuation since the war began.The UN health agency has called for more countries to step up and accept Gazan patients. While over 20 countries have taken patients, only a handful have done so in large numbers.Peeperkorn said only a fraction of Gaza's health system remained in service -- just 14 of 36 hospitals are even partially functional for a population topping two million.

An organisation representing international media outlets in Israel and the Palestinian territories said Wednesday it hoped Israel's Supreme Court would approve its petition demanding immediate access for journalists to Gaza.On Thursday, Israel's Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a petition filed by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) seeking access to Gaza.Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented foreign journalists from entering the devastated territory, taking only a handful of reporters inside on tightly controlled visits alongside its troops."For over two years, Israel has blocked foreign reporters from going into the territory, greatly hindering the media's ability to cover this devastating conflict," the FPA said in a statement ahead of Thursday's hearing, scheduled for 09:00 am (0600 GMT)."We are pleased to finally have our day in court and hope the justices will swiftly approve our request to enter Gaza," Tania Kraemer, chairperson of the FPA, said in the statement."It is high time for Israel to lift the closure and let us do our work alongside our Palestinian colleagues."The Foreign Press Association began petitioning for independent access to Gaza soon after the war broke out in October 2023 following Hamas' unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel.The FPA, which represents hundreds of foreign journalists, has on multiple occasions asked for access to Gaza over the past two years.But these demands have been repeatedly ignored by Israeli authorities.An AFP journalist sits on the FPA's board of directors.Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has joined the petition filed by the FPA.While Israel has prevented foreign reporters entering Gaza, its forces have killed more than 210 Palestinian journalists in the territory, Antoine Bernard, RSF's director for advocacy and assistance, said on Tuesday."The result is an unprecedented violation of press freedom and the public's right to reliable, independent, and pluralistic media reporting," Bernard said."The Supreme Court has the opportunity to finally uphold basic democratic principles in the face of widespread propaganda, disinformation, and censorship, and to end two years of meticulous and unrestrained destruction of journalism in and about Gaza."No excuse, no restriction can justify not opening Gaza to international, Israeli and Palestinian media," he said.On October 10, Israel declared a ceasefire and started pulling back troops from some areas of the territory, as part of US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the war.jd/dc/adp

The United Nations' top legal body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), on Wednesday gave an advisory opinion saying that Israel is under the obligation to ensure the basic needs of the civilian population in Gaza are met.The panel of 11 judges added Israel has to support relief efforts provided by the United Nations in the Gaza Strip, and UN entities, including UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East."As an occupying power, Israel is obliged to ensure the basic needs of the local population, including the supplies essential for their survival," presiding judge Yuji Iwasawa said. He added that basic needs include food, water, shelter, fuel and medical services.Advisory opinions of the ICJ, also known as the World Court, carry legal and political weight, but they are not binding and the court has no enforcement power.The opinion, which was requested by the UN General Assembly in December, clarified the protections states must provide for UN staff and is expected to have effects beyond the Gaza conflict.In a post on X, Israel's foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the court's findings and added "Israel fully upholds its obligations under international law".The ICJ judges on Wednesday found that Israel had not substantiated its claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are Hamas members.In April this year lawyers for the United Nations and Palestinian representatives at the ICJ accused Israel of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into Gaza between March and May, a time when Israel completely cut off all goods.Since then, some humanitarian aid has been allowed in but UN officials say it was nowhere near what was needed to ease a humanitarian disaster which crossed the threshold into famine. A ceasefire agreed this month calls for Israel to admit 600 trucks of aid per day, but the UN says far less is entering so far.The ICJ opinion found Palestinians in Gaza were inadequately supplied and stressed Israel cannot use starvation as a weapon of war.Paul Reichler, a lawyer acting for the Palestinians, said the findings meant Israel was not complying with its international law obligations."On the one hand, you have the court finding that starvation as a method of warfare is illegal, and on the other, the court found that Israel deliberately prevented food from reaching the civilian population in Gaza," he said.UNRWA, which serves millions of Palestinians by running schools and aid distribution, employs more than 30,000 people.Within hours of the ruling, Norway said it would propose a UN General Assembly resolution demanding that Israel lift restrictions on Gaza aid.And the Palestinian delegate to the ICJ, Ammar Hijazi, urged nations to ensure Israel complies with the court to let aid into Gaza."The responsibility is on the international community to uphold these values and oblige Israel, bring Israel into compliance," he told reporters.Before the ruling, Abeer Etefa, Middle East spokeswoman for the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), said 530 WFP trucks had crossed into Gaza since the ceasefire started on October 10.The trucks had delivered more than 6,700 tonnes of food, which she said was "enough for close to half a million people for two weeks".Etefa said around 750 tonnes a day were now coming through, well below WFP's target of around 2,000 tonnes daily.ICJ judges heard a week of evidence in April from dozens of nations and organisations, much of which revolved around the status of UNRWA.Hijazi told the April hearings that Israel was blocking aid as a "weapon of war", sparking starvation in Gaza.The case was separate from the others Israel faces under international law over its Gaza campaign.In July 2024, the ICJ issued another advisory opinion stating that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories was "unlawful" and must end as soon as possible.ICJ judges are also weighing accusations, brought by South Africa, that Israel has broken the 1948 UN Genocide Convention with its actions in Gaza.Another court in The Hague, the International Criminal Court, has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Head of the Gaza Water Authority, Eng. Saadi Ali revealed the extent of the losses and massive destruction of the water sector and irrigation networks in the strip, which the occupation deliberately destroyed and cut off services to citizens during the aggression on Gaza.Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Ali said that the extent of the damage and losses in the water sector exceeds 85 percent, explaining that the occupation forces targeted critical water infrastructure, including sources, distribution networks, wastewater treatment facilities, sewage lines, and desalination plants, severely disrupting access to clean water for the population.He estimated the value of destroyed international water projects in Gaza at around $3 billion, encompassing infrastructure, equipment, solar energy systems, desalination pumps, and other vital assets. He also reported the destruction of 725 central water wells and 134 freshwater projects, while over 700,000 meters of water pipelines were damaged due to bombardment and ground incursions.The Head of the Water Authority warned that the Gaza Strip is facing a major crisis, affecting the entire water sector and all its components and facilities, directly negatively impacting citizens.He explained that, in light of the fuel shortage, the Water Authority, municipalities, and relevant authorities have been unable to provide services to citizens except partially and limitedly, with the remaining facilities that were not destroyed. They rely on aging energy generators that are worn out and in need of maintenance and spare parts. He pointed out that during the two years of the aggression on Gaza, no spare parts or oil have been imported for the generators, which are at risk of shutting down at any time and are only operated for six hours per day.Despite a ceasefire agreement, he stressed that no materials, equipment, or machinery have been allowed into Gaza to support the water and sanitation sectors, further deepening the crisis. Clean water remains largely unavailable across neighborhoods and displacement camps, home to thousands of displaced people.To address the crisis, the Water Authority has developed recovery plans in coordination with local and international partners. However, implementation remains stalled due to the continued closure of border crossings and restrictions on importing necessary supplies.Ali emphasized that restoring basic water services, ensuring at least 50 liters per person per day, requires urgent rehabilitation of destroyed wells, desalination facilities, and sewage treatment plants.He also warned that water and sewage systems in the neighborhoods and streets of the Gaza Strip are intertwined due to Israeli destruction and bulldozing, raising the threat of disease outbreaks, particularly among children.With winter approaching, he highlighted the risk of flooding in Gaza City, especially due to the destruction of the Sheikh Radwan water basin. Eight sewage pumps in Gaza have stopped functioning completely or partially, further compounding the risk of sewage leakage into groundwater and drinking supplies.Ali concluded by calling for the immediate reopening of border crossings to allow the entry of spare parts, pipes, and pumps essential for repairs and reconstruction, stressing that this is a cornerstone for restoring water services and preventing a full-scale environmental and health catastrophe.

Qatar Charity has announced allocation of an additional $16mn to expand humanitarian interventions in the Gaza Strip.This came in the speech delivered by Qatar Charity’s CEO Yousef bin Ahmed al-Kuwari on the margins of the high-level event Qatar held in Cairo, highlighting joint Qatari-Egyptian efforts to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, as part of the ongoing humanitarian partnerships between the two countries. Al-Kuwari emphasised that this support is intended to expand emergency assistance operations across Gaza, covering essential sectors such as food, water, healthcare, and shelter for civilians affected by the ongoing conflict. He added that this additional allocation raises Qatar Charity’s total contribution to Gaza to USD142mn, stressing Qatar Charity’s steadfast commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza and enhancing urgent humanitarian responses to meet the basic needs of affected families.Qatar Charity reaffirmed its commitment to close co-operation with the relevant authorities in Egypt, UN agencies, and partner organisations to expedite logistics, monitor distribution, and ensure effective delivery of aid, al-Kuwari pointed out.Al-Kuwari stated: “Our continued dedication to delivering lifesaving assistance has enabled us, over the past week, to transport more than 16,694 tents to Gaza via the land bridge between Doha and Al Arish.

WFP says just two aid crossings are open and none to northIsrael says aid is entering in accordance with ceasefire planGazans store supplies for fear they will halt againThe UN World Food Programme said on Tuesday that supplies into Gaza were ramping up after the US-brokered ceasefire but were still far short of its daily target of 2,000 tons because only two crossings are open, and none to the famine-hit north of the enclave.Around 750 metric tons of food are now entering the Gaza Strip daily, according to the WFP, but this was still well below the scale of needs after two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas that has reduced much of Gaza to ruins."To be able to get to this scale-up, we have to use every border crossing point right now," WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told a Geneva press briefing.She said only two of the Israeli-controlled crossings into Gaza were operational - Kerem Shalom in the south and Kissufim in the centre.The ceasefire plan brokered by US President Donald Trump envisages "full aid" being sent into Gaza. An Israeli security official said that humanitarian aid continues to enter through the Kerem Shalom crossing and additional crossings in accordance with the plan, without naming them.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until further notice, with its reopening dependent on Hamas handing over bodies of deceased hostages.The UN children's agency spokesperson Ricardo Pires said on Tuesday the humanitarian response was still far below the required scale and called for all entry points to reopen.Some nutrition supplies for children and pregnant women have reached the north via the south, Etefa said, but far short of the level required. "We haven't had large-scale convoys into Gaza City or to the north of Gaza," she said, adding that WFP had not been granted permission to use the main north-south Salah al-Din road.Food supplies delivered so far are enough to feed around half a million people for two weeks, she said.Many Gazans were storing the food they are receiving because they are afraid that supplies might again dry up."They eat part of it, and they ration and keep some of the supplies for an emergency, because they are not very confident how long the ceasefire will last and what will happen next," she said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stressed the importance of working to ensure that the truce in Gaza turns into a real peace. In a statement on the sidelines of the Mediterranean and Southern European Union (MED9) summit in Slovenia, Tajani said that there is a lot of work to be done and Italy is on the front lines, ready to reinforce the Carabinieri presence at the Rafah crossing. Tajani confirmed that the matter was discussed with Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and added that Italy is working with Jordan and Egypt regarding Gaza. He also confirmed Italy will participate in the reconstruction conference, in addition to sending a delegation to Amman to participate in training, including in the field of healthcare.

The Israeli occupation forces have committed 80 documented violations since the announcement of the ceasefire in Gaza, resulting in the slaying of 97 Palestinians and injuries to over 230 others, with varying degrees of severity, including 21 violations recorded on Sunday, the Government Media Office in Gaza reported in a statement Monday.The statement added that these breaches included direct shooting at civilians, deliberate bombing of residential compounds, creation of fire belts, and unleashing field detentions in several areas.These practices confirm the persistent Israeli occupation's belligerent approach and its determination to field escalation in an unequivocal violation of the ceasefire decision and the international humanitarian rules-based order, the statement continued.The statement further pointed out that in their assaults, the occupation forces operated tanks stationed at the perimeter of residential neighborhoods, alongside remotely-operated sensor-equipped cranes with electro-optical targeting capability, in addition to fighter jets and quadcopters that daily hover over populated areas and directly launch firepower at civilians.The Israeli breaches have been recorded in various governorates across the Gaza enclave, emphasising the Israeli occupation's non-compliance with the ceasefire and its persistent pursuit of the policy of killing and terrorising against the population, the statement clarified.The Media Office held the Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for these violations and called on the UN and nations that guaranteed the ceasefire deal to urgently intervene to compel the Israeli occupation to stop its attacks and protect the unarmed civilians in the Gaza Strip.

HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad witnessed Monday the departure of 60 trucks loaded with Qatari aid from 10th of Ramadan City to the Egyptian city of Al Arish, in preparation for their entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah Crossing.**media[371430]**This came during Her Excellency’s inspection of the Qatari humanitarian aid warehouse in 10th of Ramadan City, during her current visit to the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt.The Qatari aid to Gaza includes (25,500) comprehensive food baskets, (1,800) hygiene baskets, (1,000) shelter kits, (400) tons of flour, and (7,400) cartons of baby milk.**media[371433]**Her Excellency also toured the Qatari humanitarian aid warehouse, which contains relief and food supplies.**media[371431]**

The agricultural sector has incurred staggering losses due to the methodical Israeli targeting and deliberate destruction of a massive portion of Gaza's agricultural capabilities, spokesperson for Gaza's Ministry of Agriculture Muhammad Abu Odeh told Qatar News Agency Monday.He stressed that the devastation was ubiquitous, affecting all of Gaza's agricultural sector and spaces, as well as water wells, livestock, fisheries, dairy and poultry farms, and greenhouses.Abu Odeh revealed that $2.8bn represents the total preliminary losses of the agricultural sector in Gaza throughout two years of Israeli aggression and the deliberate and systematic targeting of all components of agriculture in the enclave.He further explained that 94% of agricultural lands in the Strip were destroyed by the occupation out of a total of 178,000 dunums, and that 1,223 agricultural wells were rendered inoperative.Abu Odeh stated that 93,000 dunums of vegetable-cultivated lands have shrunk to only 4,000 dunums, while approximately 85% of agricultural greenhouses, which used to produce vegetables for the residents of the enclave, were destroyed.This led to a decline in vegetable production from about 405,000 tons annually to around 28,000 tons only, insufficient to meet the population's needs in the Gaza Strip amid the war and famine endured by the population, Abu Odeh said.He noted that 100% of the fisheries sector was affected due to the targeting by the Israeli occupation of fishing areas, followed by the destruction of fishermen’s equipment and boats, in addition to the detention or killing of anyone attempting to venture out to sea to practice their profession, amid the prohibition on fishermen from operating in the Gaza Sea throughout the period of onslaught.Over a season has passed during the two-year-long war since the seasonal agricultural crops were planted, which incurred massive losses due to the deceleration of production caused by Israel's methodical and intentional razing and decimation, especially of the varieties known in Gaza.The Gaza Strip is mired in unemployment following two years of the war of extermination that plagued all elements of life, with the unemployment rate in Palestine surging during the offensive in the West Bank and the Gaza enclave to reach 50%, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said in a report.The report added that the rate stands at 34% in the West Bank and 80% in the Gaza Strip, while the number of unemployed in Palestine has reached approximately 550,000.The ceasefire deal between the Hamas movement and the Israeli occupation took effect last week following the Israeli occupation army's pullback from sites and populated areas in the enclave.This was marked by the return of displaced people to the northern Strip as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war on Gaza.

Israel launched dozens of deadly strikes in Gaza Sunday, after accusing the resistance group Hamas of attacking its troops, in the worst violence since the start of a ceasefire nine days ago.Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, said at least 33 people had been killed across the territory.Hamas denied the accusations, with one official accusing Israel of fabricating "pretexts" to resume the war.In a separate statement, the Israeli military said two of its soldiers "fell during combat in the southern Gaza Strip".A security official said that Israel was also suspending the entry of aid into Gaza, blaming "Hamas's blatant violations" of the ceasefire.Israel repeatedly cut off aid to the territory during the war, exacerbating dire humanitarian conditions, with the United Nations saying it caused a famine in northern Gaza.The truce in the Palestinian territory, brokered by US President Donald Trump and taking effect on 10 October, brought to a halt more than two years of devastating war between Israel and Hamas.Palestinian witnesses said clashes erupted in the southern city of Rafah in an area still held by Israel.A statement from Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, reaffirmed the group's commitment to the ceasefire and said Israel "continues to breach the agreement and fabricate flimsy pretexts to justify its crimes".Hamas's armed wing insisted on Sunday that the group was adhering to the ceasefire agreement with Israel and had "no knowledge" of any clashes in Rafah.Israel resumes ceasefireThe Israeli military said Sunday it had resumed enforcing a ceasefire in Gaza after carrying out dozens of strikes on Hamas targets earlier in the day. "The IDF has begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire," the military said in a statement."The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it."