Restoring Gaza 'will take decades', says UN

A new report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said that the restoration of both social and economic conditions of Gaza to pre-October 2023 levels "will take decades" and also cost tens of billions of dollars.

Since the war began, the report found that Gaza's gross domestic product dropped by 24 percent. And if it were to return to pre-war levels, based on Gaza's economic growth rates from 2007-2022, it would take "until 2092 just to restore the GDP levels of 2022".

The report noted that Gaza's dire economic situation originates from well beyond the current conflict, and stems from the 17-year blockade on the enclave, as well as the 56 years of Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The only ways to realistically restore economic opportunities for Gaza's population, the report notes, is to restore its international airport and also to build a seaport for the enclave.