Nearly three years of Israeli bombardment and ground
operations have killed more than 74,000 Gazans, according to figures reported
by Gaza authorities. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble. Hundreds of
thousands of homes have been destroyed or damaged, hospitals and schools have
been devastated, and essential water, sanitation and electricity infrastructure
has been severely compromised.
Yet statistics cannot capture what life means for a
population that has lost homes, livelihoods, schools, hospitals and basic
services. Gazans have been displaced repeatedly and continue to live in
extremely difficult conditions. Even after a ceasefire agreement, violence and
humanitarian challenges persist.
Then came another geopolitical shock. Since February 28,
2026, the US-Israel war with Iran has consumed international attention. Gaza,
already pushed to the margins, has slipped even further down the world's
agenda. This raises an uncomfortable question: Has the world become accustomed
to Gazans' suffering?
The most disturbing possibility is that Gaza's destruction
will eventually be viewed not as a humanitarian catastrophe requiring justice,
but as a redevelopment opportunity requiring investment. With billions of
dollars needed for reconstruction, the temptation to see Gaza primarily through
the lens of real estate, tourism and strategic interests could become enormous.
History may therefore record these three years in one
devastating sentence: The world watched Gaza being destroyed, then waited for
the rubble to clear so that the real-estate bonanza could begin.
But Gaza is not an empty piece of land awaiting developers.
It is home to Gazans who have survived war, displacement and unimaginable loss.
Reconstruction must restore not merely buildings, but dignity, ownership,
livelihoods and the right of Gazans to determine their own future.
The world still has a choice: remember Gaza as a human
tragedy—or allow the suffering of Gazans to become someone else's opportunity.
