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United Nations reports that reconstructing the infrastructure in Gaza could take decades

It may take up  “approximately 80 years” to rebuild the nearly 80,000 homes destroyed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to a United Nations report released Thursday. 

The May 1 report mentioned that infrastructure in Gaza could be restored by 2040 if the U.N. is able to transport construction and relief materials at least five times faster than they were able to in 2021, when Israel launched an 11-day military offensive on the Gaza Strip. The United Nations Development Programme assessment claims that the war has led 1.74 million people into poverty, bringing the poverty rate of the occupied Palestinian territories to 58.4%. 

The assessment also reported that the war has set back human development — affecting factors such as people’s ability to live “long and healthy” lives, “being knowledgeable and having a decent standard of living” — in Palestine by 17 years. A different U.N. report found that Gaza is facing $18.5 billion in infrastructure damages.

“Every additional day that this war continues is exacting huge and compounding costs to Gazans and all Palestinians, now and in the medium and long term,” UNDP administrator Achim Steiner said. “Unprecedented levels of human losses, capital destruction, and the steep rise in poverty in such a short period of time will precipitate a serious development crisis that jeopardizes the future of generations to come.”

Hamas to send representatives to Cairo for discussion on cease-fire proposal

The Palestinian militant group Hamas announced they will be sending a delegation to Cairo to discuss Egypt’s most recent cease-fire proposal. The proposal, written by U.S. and Egyptian officials, would allow for a “partial release” of Israeli hostages, an “immediate” six-week cease-fire and a commitment to further negotiations of a “permanent calm” through “some sort” of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.  

The proposal would also lead to a three-week ceasefire in an attempt to deflect Israeli military from overtaking Rafah. There is not yet an official timeline for the delegation’s trip to Cairo. Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet, said that Israel should accept a “responsible outline” for the return of hostages that does not “entail ending the war.”

According to Israeli officials, Egypt’s proposal is the “last chance” to halt violence before the country will deploy “a planned offensive” onto Rafah to destroy Hamas’ remaining military units. Officials have said while they are “ready to send a delegation to Cairo,” the decision to ultimately send representatives and consider a temporary cease-fire will depend on “developments in the negotiations.” Hamas reasserted in a statement that while they will cooperate “with the aim of working forward for an agreement,” they are still “seeking guarantees” that Israel will completely withdraw from Gaza and end the war.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he has not seen a military plan for overtaking Rafah that promotes the safety of civilians, despite meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said the capital of the United States “could not support such an assault” but will continue conversation with the Israeli government. 

“We cannot, will not support a major military operation in Rafah absent an effective plan to make sure that civilians are not harmed and no, we’ve not seen such a plan,” Blinken told Reuters. “There are other ways, and in our judgment better ways, of dealing with the … ongoing challenge of Hamas that does not require a major military operation in Rafah.”

Israeli officials believe the International Criminal Court is preparing for prosecution

At least five Israeli and foreign officials have alleged that the International Criminal Court is preparing arrest warrants for Israel’s senior government officials due to the war in Gaza. Officials also believe that the ICC is preparing similar warrants for the leaders of Hamas. 

Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recording that the ICC is attempting to “paralyze Israel’s very ability to defend itself.” Officials suspect that Netanyahu is cited in the warrant for “preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip” and enacting an “excessively harsh response” after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israeli towns. 

While the ICC has not confirmed these accusations, Israeli officials received warnings of potential prosecution by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Israel has been under investigation by the ICC for over three years due to its correspondence with its occupied territories. The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, visited Israel and the West Bank in December before confirming that his team is working on an investigation.

The Biden administration “does not support the International Criminal Court’s investigation into Israel’s actions in Gaza,” according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. This statement comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson said that if the ICC acquires arrest warrants, it would allow the ICC to “assume unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants against American political leaders, American diplomats and American military personnel.”

The ICC is composed of 124 countries, which does not include Israel. While the country asserts that the court does not have control over its officials and government, an ICC ruling in 2015 established that the court does “have jurisdiction over the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza,” according to the BBC. If Netanyahu is cited in the ICC’s warrant, it would make Israel the first “Western-style democracy” to face an arrest warrant for its leader.

“Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it.”

Contact Maisie Zipfel at [email protected].