Ministry of Public Works starts rebuilding destroyed homes

GAZA, — The Minister of Public Works and Housing in Gaza and a representative of  the Turkish Foundation For Human Rights And Freedoms And Humanitarian Relief (IHH) on Thursday laid the foundation stone for rebuilding homes destroyed by the Israeli occupation army during the war on Gaza.

The ceremony was also attended by the Secretary General of the Council of Minsiters, Muhammad Awad, Ahmad al-Kurd, Minsiter of Employment and Social Affairs and other government officials.

Mansi said during the ceremony that more than a year and a half after the end of the Israeli war on Gaza, people there only heard promises of rebuilding and about thethe millions that were earmarked for the rebuilding of Gaza, but none of that promissed help materialised.

Muhammad Kaya, representing the IHH, for his part said that this project will be followed by other projects and that the choice of a house closed to a Zionist military post in northern Gaza is our way of saying that we are going to rebuild many houses to re-house those whose homes were destroyed by the occupation army.

In light of the continuing siege, this housing project aims to highlight the determination of the Palestinians to rebuild their lives. The Israeli ban on cement, steel and other building materials will not deter the construction efforts, even if rubble from destroyed homes have to be recycled and used in building new houses.

According to Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, 11,154 homes were destroyed or damaged during Operation Cast Lead. Of these, 2,632 were totally destroyed and 8,522 were partially destroyed. 16 months after the war the scars are still deep and Gaza has far from recovered. In fact, the siege restrictions are even tighter, making it virtually impossible to return to normality.