Now that three-quarters of Gaza’s built environment is destroyed, several reconstruction scenarios are being considered. One of the most sensitive options from a technical and political point of view is to recycle the debris to expand the enclave’s Mediterranean coast and create artificial islands in the high seas.
Recycling restrictions
This approach has the advantage of absorbing some of the enormous volume of war debris while reducing the need for dredging and extraction of new materials for construction use.
However, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) warned that there is not enough rubble available for the massive engineering project.
The agency co-chairs the Debris Management Task Force that highlighted a reconstruction plan adopted by an extraordinary Arab summit in Cairo to restore 14 square kilometers (8.7 square miles) of land.
The project would require almost 200 million cubic meters of aggregates, but only about 10 million cubic meters of this can be obtained from recycled waste.
“Even if more than half (20 million cubic meters or approximately 55 percent) of all waste generated in Gaza were recycled, it would still provide only about 10 percent of the aggregate volumes needed for recovery projects of this scale,” the UNEP document notes.
The UNEP document highlights the need to evaluate such projects according to their feasibility, cost and reconstruction priorities.
He says recycled debris could be used to build artificial islands or to fill and elevate low-lying land, as long as the materials are clean and suitable from a geotechnical perspective.
Much of Gaza City has been destroyed in the conflict.
building blocks
Under the scenarios analyzed, larger blocks could be used as foundations on the seabed, while recycled rubble could strengthen breakwaters and coastal defenses. Finer materials could be used to raise the land and reshape the shoreline, which would require new drainage systems.
But a central question remains: the nature of the debris itself. Gaza’s rubble contains a wide mix of materials from destroyed buildings. In addition to concrete, tiles and metals (including reinforced steel) that can be reused, many other items cannot, from asbestos-containing sediment to furniture, not to mention human remains that have not yet been discovered.
Given these complexities, UNEP insists that all hazardous and non-recyclable waste must be thoroughly sorted before it can be used.
Boost recycling capacity
Meanwhile, UN teams are setting up two recycling centers in Gaza to turn rubble into construction materials. Although concrete, brick, stone and tiles are relatively easy to process, UN experts are concerned about the possible presence of asbestos in collapsed roofs, as well as chemicals and industrial waste.
Unexploded ordnance poses another major risk as it can contaminate the ground or detonate accidentally, while progress remains dependent on the entry of heavy earth-moving equipment, which Israel continues to restrict for security reasons.
Debris management also raises sensitive questions about heritage and safety. The rubble contains historical, archaeological, architectural and cultural sites destroyed during the war.
Lessons from Lebanon and Japan
Despite these limitations, several international precedents provide an indication of whether the rubble can be used in any Gaza reconstruction plan.
In Lebanon, after the civil war, Beirut used rubble to reclaim land from the sea, including around the Normandy landfill and the rebuilt city centre. But according to the UNEP document, that experience was marked by environmental and governance controversies.
In Japan, after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, debris was sorted and widely reused to protect the coast, raise ground levels, and support reconstruction. UNEP says this shows how large-scale waste recycling is possible, as long as strict technical and environmental controls are in place.
But these examples cannot be applied without strong legal and environmental safeguards.
According to UNEP, any use of waste in the marine environment must comply with the Palestinian Environment Law No. 7 of 1999, which requires an environmental impact assessment for projects that may affect the ecosystem.
Beyond national legislation, the document recommends taking into account international and regional frameworks relevant to the Mediterranean, in order to identify good practices and address cross-border concerns.