The United Nations estimates that the war has left over 42 million tons of debris in Gaza, 14 times the amount of rubble accumulated in Gaza between 2008 and the war's start a year ago, and over five times the amount left by the 2016-2017 Battle of Mosul in Iraq, according to UN.

Piled up, it would fill the Great Pyramid of Giza — Egypt's largest — 11 times, according to estimates by Reuters, and it is growing daily.

According to AP, debris and rubble laced with human remains in Gaza are enough to fill New York’s Central Park to a depth of eight metres (about 25 feet).

It could take up to 15 years and nearly $650 million to clear it all away, the UN added.

In September, an assessment based on satellite footage carried out by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research revealed that the Israeli war has left roughly a quarter of all structures in Gaza destroyed or severely damaged.

It said around 66 percent of structures, including more than 227,000 housing units, had sustained at least some damage.

The governorates of Khan Younis and Rafah have experienced the highest rise in damage compared to the UN 6 July 2024 analysis, with around 1,470 new structures damaged in Khan Younis and around 3,770 in Rafah.

The Israeli war has also destroyed Gaza's infrastructure, which was already in bad condition after a 16-year blockade imposed by Israel, according to an AP report.

The UN stated that the war has damaged or destroyed over 92 percent of Gaza's main roads and more than 84 percent of its health facilities.

Nearly 70 percent of Gaza’s water and sanitation plants have been destroyed or damaged, the UN estimates.

This includes all five of the territory’s wastewater treatment facilities, plus desalination plants, sewage pumping stations, wells, and reservoirs

The breakdown of water infrastructure has flooded the streets with sewage in many areas, contributing to the spread of diseases among a population weakened by widespread hunger.

According to Reuters, a UN-led Debris Management Working Group plans a pilot project with Palestinian authorities in Khan Younis and the central Gazan city of Deir Al-Balah to start clearing roadside debris this month.

"The challenges are huge," Alessandro Mrakic, the Gaza Office head for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) co-chairing the working group, told Reuters.

The debris contains unrecovered bodies, as many as 10,000 according to the Palestinian health ministry, and unexploded bombs, Mrakic added.

In June, the United Nations Environment Programme warned that the debris in Gaza poses risks to human health and the environment, from dust and contamination with unexploded ordnance, asbestos, industrial and medical waste, and other hazardous substances.

Human remains buried beneath the debris must be dealt with sensitively and appropriately, it affirmed.

Clearing the debris will be a massive and complex task, which needs to start as soon as possible to enable other types of recovery and reconstruction to proceed, the organization said.