 "Top UN official says war-hit Gaza on 'disastrous trajectory'")
A top UN official helping oversee Gaza's reconstruction following its 2014 war with Israel says the territory is on a "disastrous trajectory," with Israel's blockade and Palestinian divisions hampering recovery.
Robert Piper, UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process as well as humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, spoke to AFP after returning from one of his regular visits to the impoverished Gaza Strip.
His latest visit came at a time of growing concern over a possible new conflict in the enclave, which has already seen three wars with Israel since 2008, particularly over the reconstruction of tunnels that could be used to attack the Jewish state.
More than a year after the last war in 2014, around 100,000 people remain displaced. Of the 11,000 homes completely destroyed, only 859 have been rebuilt.
Delays in reconstruction have been blamed on Israel's blockade of Gaza along with shortages in donor funding, most of which has been provided by Qatar.
A lack of coordination between Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, dominated by rival Fatah, have also contributed to the slow pace.
