Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
After more than two years of conflict, the Gaza Strip is covered with approximately 57 million tonnes of rubble, severely damaging its built environment.
One proposed reconstruction scenario involves recycling part of this debris to create artificial islands offshore by extending Gaza's Mediterranean coastline, as well as raising low-lying land areas.
According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this approach could reduce the need for dredging and extracting new building materials. However, UNEP notes that even if over half of Gaza's debris were recycled, it would provide only about 10 percent of the aggregate required for the large-scale land reclamation projects envisioned by regional plans.
UNEP emphasizes the need to assess projects based on feasibility, cost, and reconstruction priorities. The rubble contains materials—some reusable, like concrete and reinforced steel, but also hazardous waste and human remains—which require thorough sorting before use.
Recycled rubble could be used as larger blocks for seabed foundations, rubble for breakwaters and coastal defenses, and finer materials for reshaping the coastline with new drainage systems.
To support these efforts, UN teams are working to establish two recycling centers in Gaza to enhance debris processing and sorting capacity.
These initiatives highlight the technical and political challenges facing Gaza's reconstruction, balancing urgent rebuilding needs with environmental and safety considerations.