Gaza’s rubble is 20 times greater than that of wars worldwide over the past 18 years 

The war has left more than 61 million tonnes of rubble across the 365-square-kilometre Gaza Strip, posing an immense challenge to reconstruction.

The debris includes destroyed homes and buildings, unexploded ordnance, asbestos and other hazardous waste. Thousands of bodies remain buried beneath it, making clearance inseparable from recovering and identifying victims.

The UN Development Programme estimates that clearing most of the rubble could take around seven years, provided equipment, fuel and safe access are available. International projects have begun recycling some debris for construction, but millions of tonnes still block roads, rebuilding and the return of daily life.