GAZA, (The Palestine Foundation Pakistan)Municipalities in the Gaza Strip, in coordination with the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, have begun reopening main roads and removing rubble to ease the movement of Palestinian residents.
Heavy equipment, bulldozers, and trucks provided by Qatari aid have started clearing the debris that has blocked main streets, especially as thousands of displaced people return from southern Gaza to the north following the halt of Israeli aggression.
Yahya Al-Sarraj, the mayor of Gaza City, confirmed that since the ceasefire was announced, Gaza’s municipalities have launched a massive campaign to reopen roads and pathways to facilitate the return of displaced people to their homes and shelters.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al-Sarraj said, “The campaign is continuing with renewed strength through the support of the Qatari Committee, which provided a large number of bulldozers and trucks to help keep main roads in Gaza City open.”
He noted that the road-clearing process will continue for an entire month, aiming to ease the return of displaced families and begin the process of reviving what remains of the devastated city.
Al-Sarraj emphasized that more than 85% of Gaza City’s heavy equipment, trucks, and utility vehicles were destroyed during the Israeli attacks. Municipalities are now heavily reliant on limited and deteriorating resources from the private sector.
The mayor stressed that the next phase of recovery must include the provision of tents and temporary housing to protect women and children from the approaching winter, as well as the rebuilding of marketplaces to serve residents again.
He added that multiple international and Arab entities have contacted local municipalities to provide supplies and equipment, but Israeli authorities continue to block the entry of these urgent necessities.
Municipalities are in dire need of spare parts for vehicles, generators, solar power systems, batteries, tires, and engine oil, most of which are in dangerously short supply.
Al-Sarraj also highlighted the urgent need for water tanks, transportation vehicles, trucks, and heavy equipment to remove the massive amounts of rubble that municipalities are currently unable to clear on their own.
He called for the opening of all crossings into Gaza to allow the entry of everything the municipalities require, particularly trucks and heavy machinery.
He also appealed for the urgent entry of construction materials, especially cement, pointing out that municipalities need at least 1,000 tons immediately to help repair and restart water wells, sewage systems, and critical municipal infrastructure.
Public and municipal services in Gaza are suffering from widespread destruction as a result of Israeli attacks, which deliberately targeted buildings, infrastructure, and municipal offices. Four mayors were killed in direct strikes, and air raids have destroyed essential equipment, water and sewage facilities, and energy networks.
