UN housing expert Balakrishnan Rajagopal confirmed that "reconstructing the Gaza Strip will take 80 years, if the Israeli occupation continues its aggression."

According to the official website of the United Nations, the independent UN investigator in charge of the right to adequate housing, Rajagopal, said that by January 2024, between 60 and 70 percent of homes in Gaza had been destroyed, and in the north the percentage was 82 percent.

"It's much worse now," he said, especially in the north, where the destruction rate is approaching 100 percent.

He said a recent report by the United Nations Development Programme estimated that in May there were more than 39 million tons of debris in Gaza, adding that the rubble was mixed with unexploded ordnance, toxic waste, asbestos from collapsed buildings and other materials.

"The pollution of groundwater and soil has reached a catastrophic level, to the point that we do not know if it can be treated in time," he added, noting that the sector has been exposed to "an unprecedented barrage of destruction" since October 7, 2023.

Asked how long it would take to rebuild Gaza, he said the rubble must first be removed, then funding must be found, and most importantly, reconstruction can only take place if the occupation ends.

He blamed Israel for this, which imposes restrictions on construction materials and equipment, which it claims have dual uses, noting that after the 2014 war in Gaza, less than a thousand homes were built each year.