General

Ingenuity in clay

Gazan’s rebuild with nothing

Strict trade barriers from Egypt and Israel prevent building supplies from entering Gaza, making it seemingly impossible to rebuild from the destruction of the war six months ago. Despite a worldwide pledge of $5 billion in aid, building materials can’t make it in, so Palestinians are learning to do without. They are resurrecting ancient construction techniques—baking clay into bricks that are stronger then concrete, making dome structures that need no cement, and filling pillars with rubble for support. But with about 4,000 homes demolished and 50,000 more damaged, thousands are still left out in the cold. This has led Palestinians to criticize the Israeli government for its embargo, but also to internal grumblings about the Hamas government. Hamas has recently ceased its rocket attacks on Israel, likely as a response to unhappy Gazans, but there is no sign of trade barriers being lifted.

Guardian News

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