Gaza Rebuilding Cost: Mahmoud Abbas Seeks $4B For Strip Reconstruction

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking $4 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Gaza after hostilities between Palestinians and Israelis ended in late August. Countries that may send reconstruction aid to Gaza are expected to make a decision by Oct. 12, the Associated Press reported.

Operation Protective Edge, the name for the Israeli operation in Gaza, leveled 60,000 homes and 5,000 businesses, Palestinian officials told the AP. The firing of rockets from Gaza into Israeli and Israel’s airstrikes in the Palestinian territory led to more than 2,000 Palestinian deaths, almost half of them civilians. On the Israeli side, 70 people were killed, including six civilians, according to the Independent.

The war in Gaza ended after 50 days on Aug. 28 following an Egypt-brokered cease-fire. Israel has since come up with a way to oversee the importation of goods into Gaza so Palestinians can begin reconstruction, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The Israeli army chief of staff suggested it was in Israel’s interest to enable Gaza to rebuild.

“We need to be careful in this regard, but we also need to conduct ourselves rationally,” Benny Gantz told Haaretz. “We need to permit the opening of the Strip to goods. In the end, there are 1.8 million people there, with Israel and Egypt surrounding them. These people need to live.”