Gaza in race against time as hundreds of thousands urgently need shelter and standoff delays reconstruction

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has sparked a race against time for Palestinians in Gaza, with 94% of the population urgently needing proper shelter, according to a report led by the Norwegian Refugee Council. The report, conducted through the Palestine Shelter Cluster, found that nearly 1.98 million people, or 94% of Gaza's population, require adequate shelter.

The assessment, based on 1,951 household interviews between June 14 and 28, classified 84% of households as living in critical or catastrophic conditions, making it impossible to perform basic domestic activities like sleeping, cooking, washing, storing water, accessing lighting, and coping with extreme temperatures.

Israel insists that militant groups must be disarmed and demilitarized before reconstruction can begin, a process expected to cost around $71 billion. Residents like Palestinian Akram Abu Humeideh, who lives in a tent with his family in Al Mawasi in Khan Younis, face daily struggles to secure basic necessities. His youngest daughter, 6-year-old Leen, has grown up knowing war and life in a tent, which breaks his heart each day.

While some families have managed to return to their homes, the alternative is not always safer; Basal Abu Madi, for instance, lived in a tent during the early stages of the war and is now living in the ruins of his home after Israeli restrictions hampered repairs.