Five years after the Israeli Operation "Protective Edge," Gaza's reconstruction is still slow as hundreds of homes are still waiting to be rebuilt. However, this waiting may be prolonged for years to come for Israel has prevented the entry of cement into Gaza in an attempt to slow down the construction of military tunnels whereas Israel says Hamas seizes cement and uses it for military fortifications.

The ban on cement supplies to Gaza was lifted later in 2015 after Israel faced wide criticism from the international community. Israel agreed with the Palestinian Authority on a mechanism for cement entering into Gaza where Israel imposed restrictions on the entry of cement and building materials, and kept only the supply of cement for projects funded by Qatar reconstruction Committee and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), to ensure that Hamas does not have access to cement supplies in Gaza Strip. 

Osama Kuhail, the chair of Palestinian Contractors Union, explained to CGTN that the Gaza Strip needs 1.5 million tons of cement annually. However, the amount allowed by Israel represents about 35 percent of Gaza's needs. He elaborated that the entry mechanism of cement compelled Palestinian citizens to register on waiting lists for cement leading to slowness in the process of development and reconstruction.

"If we looked at what was rebuilt after the war in Gaza we will find that the quantities of cement allowed in are not sufficient to rebuild. It is apparent that the main goal is to impede the process of reconstruction and development. Reconstruction in Gaza is very weak while construction firms do not work more than 30 percent of their capacity because of continued restrictions from the Israeli side."

With time and continued intermittent military escalation in the coastal enclave coupled with difficult conditions that led to the rise of the unemployment rate adding to the negative implications of the Palestinian internal split, which further complicated the scene in the Gaza Strip meanwhile. At the same time, hundreds of Palestinian families have been waiting for the rebuilding of their homes that were destroyed earlier.

Abu Hashem Hamada, a father to 6 children, whose house sustained partial damage during rounds of military escalation between Hamas and Israel, explained to CGTN during the interview how cement shortage affects their lives directly.

"Cement is the backbone of life and is essential for construction. Those who have lost their homes must rebuild, and those who wish to marry must build a new apartment. With cement delays and high prices we will not be able to obtain them as the focus of Israeli measures and sanctions is only the civilians and the economic aspect; these sanctions do not affect the resistance."

The war in Gaza in 2014 left more than 11,000 housing units destroyed and more than 2,000 families are still waiting to rebuild their homes, which were destroyed five years ago. According to the statistics of the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works and Housing, donors pledged 5.04 billion U.S. dollars at the International Conference on Gaza reconstruction held in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt in October 2014, while the actual allocations are more than 700 million only.