Construction

My path home was obstructed today by two large mounds of sand, as construction resumes on the mosque whose minarets you can see here.

In the top-right corner, you can see the pulley system which will be used to carry the sand up to the first floor. A metal box is filled with sand, attached to the hook, and pulled up. I have witnessed more than one perilous moment when the empty box was released from several stories up, as construction workers stood below.

Construction in Gaza is severely impeded by the severe restrictions placed on the import of basic construction materials, such as cement, aggregates, and iron. Israel only allows extremely limited quantities of the necessary materials to enter the Gaza Strip, which in no way meet the needs of the people.

Even UN projects face considerable difficulty. The UN recently reported that Israeli authorities take, on average, eight months to approve a reconstruction project in Gaza, while a number of projects have been pending approval for over two years, greatly delaying the pace of reconstruction.

Nevertheless, much construction is going ahead, particularly in Gaza City, using mainly materials imported through the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt.