GAZA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- At dawn each day, Hassan al-Ra'i walks cautiously across piles of shattered concrete in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of northern Gaza City, searching for intact stones buried beneath the rubble of damaged buildings. It is a way to earn a living in the aftermath of the two-year Gaza War.
Armed with a hammer and sledgehammer, the 40-year-old father of six works alongside his 13-year-old son, Walid. Together, they chip hardened cement from reusable bricks, careful not to destabilize fractured walls or leaning structures around them. Dust hangs in the air, and partially collapsed buildings loom overhead, their facades bearing visible scars of the conflict.
Al-Ra'i said the idea came to him three months ago while repairing sections of his own damaged home. "When I was fixing minor parts of the house using stones I found nearby, I realized that many bricks were still in good condition," he told Xinhua. "I knew they could be reused, not just for my house, but for others who need materials."
Before the war, which erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, al-Ra'i ran a small candy shop to support his family. The fighting destroyed both his shop and his home, leaving him without a source of income. "I lost almost everything I had," he said. "I have no choice but to work with what is available, even if it is difficult and sometimes dangerous."
The work carries serious risks. Cracked concrete slabs, exposed steel bars, and unstable walls can collapse without warning. Without protective equipment, residents navigate the rubble cautiously, aware that a single misstep could trigger falling debris.
"We try to be careful, but the danger is always there," al-Ra'i said. "Still, I continue because my family depends on this income."
Residents say the prices of building materials have soared compared with pre-war levels. The surge reflects ongoing shortages, which locals attribute to Israel's long-standing restrictions and limited imports, even after a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. Israeli officials have stated that large-scale reconstruction in Gaza will not move forward unless Hamas is disarmed.
For families like al-Ra'i's, salvaging rubble offers a short-term solution. The recovered stones are primarily used to repair partially damaged homes, allowing residents to restore basic living conditions while awaiting broader reconstruction efforts.
After hours of labor, al-Ra'i transports the cleaned stones to an area near the tent where his family now lives. There, he smooths and arranges them for sale. On favorable days, he can earn up to 50 U.S. dollars, helping cover food, water, and cooking gas expenses. His daily income fluctuates depending on demand and the number of usable bricks he can extract.
According to the Hamas-run media office, about 90 percent of Gaza's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed during the war, affecting homes, roads, and public facilities. The office estimates that nearly 70 million tonnes of rubble now blanket large areas of the territory -- roughly equivalent in weight to 12 Great Pyramids of Giza.
In the absence of a comprehensive reconstruction framework, many residents have turned to reusing salvaged materials to build temporary shelters or reinforce cracked walls and damaged roofs. In a small tent in the al-Daraj district, east of Gaza City, brothers Suhaib and Raed Nabhan grind small stones into a fine powder that can serve as a substitute for cement in minor repairs.
The process is labor-intensive. Each day, the brothers place stones into a large iron container and crush them with metal tools for hours.
"I lost my job and my home in the war," said Suhaib, a former accountant and father of five. "With very few opportunities, we have to create any source of income we can." He added that the crushed material can stabilize bricks during basic repairs as a temporary solution. "It is exhausting, but it helps people make small improvements to their houses," he said.
These small-scale, household efforts have allowed some families to return to their neighborhoods. "It is only a way to manage until larger rebuilding can begin," Raed Nabhan told Xinhua.
With no clear timeline for large-scale reconstruction, residents such as al-Ra'i and the Nabhan brothers continue working amid the debris, transforming fragments of destroyed structures into modest sources of income.
Mohammed al-Ostaz, 57, whose house was partially damaged, said purchasing salvaged bricks has become one of the few practical options available. "We want to return to our homes, even if they still need repairs," he said. "Living in a tent for a long time is too difficult, especially for elderly people and children." Waiting for new construction materials to enter the enclave could "take years," he added. ■
