Families in Gaza have waited years to move into new homes

Gaza City, Sept. 11: Israeli fighter jets bombed the Zorob family's two-story home in the Gaza Strip in 2019, leaving nothing but a pile of debris and despair.

Four years later, the 10-member family lives in a 20-square-meter (215-square-foot) hut covered with nylon sheets as they wait to move into a permanent home.

A sprawling housing project, part of a $500-million Egyptian-funded renewal effort in Gaza, has raised hopes for hundreds of needy families like the Zorobs who have lost their homes in the conflict with Israel.

But weeks before the spotless white buildings are set to be completed, there is no word on who qualifies for the 1,400 apartments — or even how to apply for one, as Gaza's Hamas rulers and the rival, internationally recognized Palestinian Authority bicker over who will be in charge.

"No one cares," said 31-year-old Mohammed Zorob, blaming both sides for the delays. "They are sitting under air conditioners with their children and they don't care about us."

The Zorobs are among an estimated 2,000 families, or roughly 12,000 people, whose homes have been destroyed in fighting with Israel in recent years, according to Gaza's Housing Ministry. An additional 90,000 people live in damaged homes that have not been repaired, it said.

A sputtering economy weakened by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, Hamas' international isolation and a lack of funding from the fatigued international community have all combined to hinder reconstruction efforts. But looming behind all of these problems has been the ongoing rivalry between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

In 2007, Hamas, an Islamic militant group that opposes Israel's existence, seized control of Gaza from the PA a year after winning parliamentary elections. The violent takeover left the PA in control only of semi-autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, even as it claims to be the legitimate international representative of both areas.

Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group and immediately imposed a blockade with Egypt in what it says is a measure to prevent Hamas from arming. The closure has devastated Gaza's economy and helped fuel four wars and numerous smaller rounds of violence. Repeated reconciliation attempts by Hamas and the PA have failed.

The project marks the first Egyptian-funded infrastructure project in the enclave following a series of Arab-funded developments meant to ease Gaza's housing crunch. Egypt, which often mediates between Israel and Hamas as well as between the rival Palestinian factions, announced the aid after an eight-day war in 2021.

Two senior Egyptian officials confirmed the Cairo government is working with the rival Palestinian factions on the project. They said Egypt has called on the sides to form a joint committee to oversee the distribution of homes, but little progress has been made.

"Unfortunately, each side wants to control the process," said one official, noting that the matter had come up in discussions during a recent visit to Egypt by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "This is not a project for either Hamas or Fatah. It's for the Palestinian people."

Both Egyptian officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. (AP)