GAZA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A senior UN official said Friday that removing the rubble caused by an Israeli war on Gaza that ended on Jan. 18 would need more than eight months with a cost of 12 million U.S. dollars.
Taher al-Sunni, deputy director of the UN Development Program (UNDP), told reporters in Gaza that the project of removing the rubble caused by the Israeli war on Gaza would continue until April 2010.
The rubble removal process started last week in northern Gaza Strip, said al-Sunni, adding that the removal of the rubble is the first stage, and other stages of reconstructing the destroyed houses will start when Israel reopens the crossings.
Israel, which imposes a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip for more than two years, launched on Dec. 27 a 22-day massive offensive on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, destroying thousands of houses and constrictions.
According to Hamas government estimates, the Israeli army had destroyed around 20,000 houses, as well as most of the police, security and governmental establishments all over the enclave.
Al-Sunni expected that the mission of removing Gaza rubble would be finalized ahead of its schedule "if Israel reopens permanently Gaza Strip commercial crossings for raw material construction and equipment."
Since the blockade was imposed on the Gaza Strip, right after Hamas seized control of the territory in June 2007, Israel does not allow the construction raw materials as well as more than 4,000 various products into Gaza.
He said the project is to cost 12 million dollars, funded by Canada with 3.4 million dollars and Sweden with 2.3 million dollars, and that Japan is expected to donate 6 million dollars soon.
Israel had earlier announced that Gaza Strip commercial crossings would be reopened when a long-term truce is reached with Gaza militants, and when captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been in prison since June 2006, is released.
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