KHUZAA — More than five weeks after the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands of people whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged in the fighting still live in classrooms, storefronts and other crowded shelters. In some of the hardest-hit areas, the displaced have pitched tents next to the debris that once was their homes. Yet despite their pressing needs, reconstruction efforts appear stymied by a continued Israeli-Egyptian border blockade of Gaza and an unresolved power struggle between the Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Those involved in rebuilding say the post-war paralysis finally will come to an end next week, with an international pledging conference in Cairo. There, Abbas is to ask for $4 billion for Gaza, including for the rebuilding or repair of more than 60,000 homes and 5,000 businesses. Once the money is raised, a United Nations deal is to ensure that large amounts of building materials get into Gaza, despite the blockade. Under the arrangement, Israel would gradually ease restrictions, while Abbas — who lost Gaza to Hamas in 2007 — is to regain some control there and make sure cement and steel meant for reconstruction aren't diverted. But James Rawley, a senior UN official involved in the reconstruction, acknowledged the deal is fragile. “We have a window of opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people of Gaza,” Rawley said. “But for that to happen, we need all parties to cooperate and work hard, including increasing the capacity of the (Israel-Gaza) crossings.” Skepticism about rebuilding efforts is widespread in Gaza. The recent 50-day war was the third in the territory in just over five years. Many homes destroyed in previous fighting still haven't been rebuilt. In Al-Khuzaa, a farming town on the border, local officials said more than a third of some 2,800 houses and apartments were destroyed or damaged. Last week, an international charity set up several dozen metal prefab homes in one neighborhood at a cost of $6,000 each, apparently the first such relief effort in Gaza. Hamdan Al-Najjar, 55, whose family of eight had slept for weeks in a shack of wooden boards and plastic sheets in the razed neighborhood, received one of the small trailers. But he hopes the temporary won't become permanent. The prospects for homes actually being rebuilt appear mixed. In a climate of distrust, the UN-brokered arrangement requires unprecedented cooperation, not just between Israelis and Palestinians, but between Abbas and Hamas. At the same time, though, the war has created a rare convergence of interests. And the international community already has pledged millions of dollars for Gaza relief, but Abbas is seeking much larger sums — $4 billion for reconstruction and $4.5 billion in budget support for his government through 2017. Perhaps even more daunting than raising the funds is getting the building materials into Gaza. Under Israeli rules before the war, trucks delivered consumer goods to Gaza, but only international agencies could bring in materials involving a cumbersome process. — AP
