Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, he said the UN cannot operate at the scale required while movement restrictions remain in place.

De Croo, who chose Gaza for his first overseas trip since taking office in November 2025, urged Israeli authorities to expand access for UN agencies and humanitarian organisations. He said this would allow teams to accelerate rubble clearance, deliver shelter materials, provide medical equipment and evacuate patients who cannot be treated inside the territory.

During a visit to Firas Market in Gaza City on Monday, De Croo witnessed the effects of a two‑year collapse in basic services. The market had become a vast dumping ground for more than 370 000 tonnes of accumulated waste. UNDP bulldozers began clearing the site a week ago in an effort to restore it as an economic hub.

Speaking from Jerusalem after a three‑day mission to Gaza and the West Bank, De Croo described living conditions as the worst he had ever seen. He said only 0.5% of Gaza’s rubble has been cleared since the war began.

“At the current pace, it will take us seven years to remove all the rubble,” he said. “We need more capacity to do rubble removal and rubble recycling. Ninety per cent of the people of Gaza today live in the middle of that rubble, which is extremely dangerous.”

Most Gazans are still living in makeshift tents. UNDP has begun replacing them with recovery housing units, with 4 000 ready for use, but up to 300 000 are needed.

De Croo said security concerns raised by Israel are understood but should not be used to deny access to UNDP, other UN agencies or international non-governmental organisations. He said expanded access is essential for stabilising humanitarian conditions and beginning meaningful reconstruction.

–UN/ChannelAfrica–