Supporting Gaza’s Future: Reconstruction and Resilience

Relentless air, land, and sea strikes in Gaza since October 2023 have destroyed essential infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and utilities. This has left the population without access to food, water, healthcare, or basic protection services.

Similar to its activities in Ukraine, Enabel is committed to supporting Gaza’s reconstruction dynamic alongside local and international partners. Both regions face post-war challenges, requiring an area-based approach that integrates education, healthcare, urban planning, and economic recovery.

Enabel implements a bilateral programme in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and is reactivating actions in Gaza to address urgent needs.

Physical rehabilitation for individuals and communities will be a key pillar of our resumed activities in the Gaza Strip. While at least 47,000 persons were killed (January 2025), the war has also caused widespread trauma, with high levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, especially with children.

Amongst other actions, we are reactivating partnerships with Palestinian and international organisations to provide psychosocial care, and integrate safe spaces for girls and women that offer sexual and reproductive health and rights services.

With 92% of school buildings completely or partially destroyed, and more than 745,000 students not able to attend any form of school, the situation is bleak on the education front. To address this, Enabel ambitions to support existing as well as establish new temporary learning spaces in safe zones. Activities will include remedial education to compensate the two academic scholastic years students lost since October 7th, 2023.

Another key component of our strategy is debris and emergency waste management, crucial for clearing devastated areas and supporting delivery of critical services. Between 41 and 47 million tons of debris and rubble are left in the wake of the destruction – some of it contaminated by asbestos. Emergency rubble removal as well as a sustainable debris management approach will enable safe provision of humanitarian relief and facilitate reconstruction efforts, while protecting populations, public health and the environment.

Enabel will support economic recovery through short-term employment that provides financial relief while contributing to long-term recovery. This includes assistance to teachers and nurses, as well as community-based projects for debris and road clearing. Essential small businesses still active in Gaza will receive support to continue their activities.

In spite of the volatility and unpredictability of conflict resolution evolving on the ground, we remain engaged in contributing to meaningful solutions for Gaza’s future.

Our commitment reflects Belgium’s dedication to peace and stability, fully aligning with the broader international consensus that a two-state solution is the only path toward a just, lasting, and hopeful future for both Palestinians and Israelis.