Rebuilding the Gaza Strip will cost an estimated $71.4 billion, according to a comprehensive assessment released by Oxfam alongside the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (Mas) and the Palestine Trade Centre (PalTrade). This projected financial toll is roughly seven times higher than the various reconstructions that have already been necessary over the past 20 years.
A Sevenfold Surge in Reconstruction Costs
The multi-billion-dollar figure represents only a part of the conflict’s actual footprint.
According to the Oxfam report, published as part of the “Palestine, all rights reserved” campaign, the reconstruction of the social fabric will take generations. Current estimates indicate that the level of human development in Gaza has been driven backward by 77 years in less than three years.
The Mandate for Local Governance
Any viable strategy for rebuilding Gaza must place the Palestinian people at the helm rather than relying on charity, according to the organizations behind the report.
Paolo Pezzati, spokesperson for humanitarian crises for Oxfam Italia, emphasized that financial pledges alone cannot guarantee success without structural reform and local empowerment.
“Any plan for the reconstruction of Gaza is destined to fail, regardless of the figure allocated, if it is imposed from above without the involvement of local institutions, civil society, and economic actors,” Pezzati stated.
He added that the international community must also acknowledge Israeli responsibility and enforce a genuine shift in policy to achieve sustainable progress.
Socioeconomic Collapse Across Every Sector
The destruction documented by Mas and PalTrade means rebuilding requires far more than pouring concrete or erecting steel structures.
Paralyzed Trade Networks and Operational Stalls
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