KHAN YOUNIS, Oct 7* — Amid the rubble of his two-storey home, 11-year-old Mohammed collects roof debris to help his father, Jihad Shamali, create gravestones for war victims in Gaza. Jihad, a former construction worker, explains they are not building homes but tombstones, reflecting their grief.

Their home was damaged in an Israeli raid in April, and this heartbreaking task is part of a broader response to the extensive debris left by the conflict. The United Nations estimates over 42 million tonnes of rubble remain in Gaza—14 times the amount accumulated from 2008 until last year—and it could take up to 14 years and $1.2 billion to clear.

The UN plans to initiate a debris clearance pilot project in Khan Younis and Deir El-Balah, as local authorities grapple with the enormous challenge. More than 163,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, and the rubble contains unexploded ordnance and unrecovered bodies, raising safety concerns.

With Gaza's population density and limited space for disposal, the UN hopes to recycle some rubble for road construction and shoreline reinforcement. However, ongoing Israeli restrictions complicate clearance efforts, and property ownership issues further hinder progress. Many donors are interested in supporting reconstruction, but concerns about the political situation loom large.