(MENAFN- The Rio Times) The United Nations Development Programme says rebuilding Gaza will cost about $70 billion. That figure reflects the sheer scale of destruction: roughly 55 million tons of debris to clear before homes, clinics, schools, roads, and power lines can be rebuilt.

UN officials estimate at least $20 billion would be needed in the first three years once engineers can work safely. Signals of support have begun to surface from the United States, Arab Gulf capitals, and several European governments.

These are expressions of willingness, not signed checks. The difference matters: reconstruction on this scale requires clear rules for how money is spent, who oversees it, and how supplies and workers move through border crossings and ports.

Turkey is pushing to knit the donors together. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says Ankara will seek financing from Gulf partners alongside the United States and Europe and is pressing for quick shelter options-such as container housing-to get families through winter.

He has also linked Western recognition moves on Palestinian statehood to a broader two-state endgame and urged outside guarantors to help keep the ceasefire on track.


Gaza's Rebuild Depends on Access, Security, and Trust
The story behind the story is about control and sequencing. Before a single apartment rises, crews must remove debris-some of it contaminated-and clear unexploded ordnance.

That requires steady access, security guarantees, and a management structure trusted by donors and residents alike. Procurement will be politically sensitive: which firms get contracts, how local labor is used, and how audits prevent leakage.

If access constricts or the ceasefire frays, costs will climb and timelines will slip. Why this matters: A $70 billion rebuild would shape Middle East aid and contracting for years, and it will determine when essential services-and jobs-return to Gaza.

For readers outside the region, the stakes are practical as well as political: whether a fragile ceasefire can hold long enough to turn signals of support into cranes on the skyline and lights back in homes.

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