The Intelligence from The Economist Toil and rubble: who will rebuild Gaza?
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Nov 14, 2025 
Greg Karlstrom, a Middle East correspondent for The Economist, shares his insights on Gaza's extensive destruction and various reconstruction plans, highlighting Egypt's phased approach and the challenges it faces. Alex Domash, an economics correspondent, discusses the implications of recent corporate layoffs, arguing they reflect a correction rather than AI displacement. Finally, Anne Rowe reminisces about James Watson, detailing his groundbreaking discovery of DNA's structure while also addressing his controversial legacy.
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Scale Of Gaza's Destruction
- Gaza is in ruins: 80–90% of buildings damaged and over 300,000 homes destroyed, leaving more than a million homeless.
- Reconstruction needs huge coordination, materials, and funding estimated around $55 billion for a multi-year effort.
Egyptian Phased Reconstruction Plan
- The Egyptian plan proposes phased rebuilding: rubble clearance, 200,000 homes in 2.5 years, then institutions in years four and five.
- Timelines, material flows via Rafah, and donor conditionality on disarming Hamas make implementation doubtful.
Practical And Political Obstacles
- Engineers warn rubble clearance could take years, not months, and Gaza holds about 55–60 million tons of debris.
- Major donors demand Hamas disarmament before funding, blocking the $55 billion needed.