Restoring dignity to Gaza: the cleanup begins

Dozens of participants - including UN officials, volunteers, and residents who recently returned from the south of the Strip - took part in the activities in the city centre. One participant, a woman in a wheelchair, held up a sign reading "We Will Rebuild Gaza" to express her support for the campaign.

Amjad Al-Shawa, Director of the Palestinian NGO Network, said the initiative represents "a shared message to the world that the people of Gaza are capable of bringing life back to their city."

He added that specialised engineering teams working on rubble management have begun seeking solutions to deal with more than 60 million tons of debris resulting from the destruction of homes and infrastructure, noting that "today's volunteer campaign is only the beginning of a long process until Gaza returns more beautiful than it was."

UN agency officials also joined the cleaning efforts, reaffirming their support for local initiatives.

Alessandro Marakic, an official with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said, "we are here with the local authorities, civil society organizations, and the Chamber of Commerce to start the cleaning operations. What we are witnessing today is people returning to their city and regaining part of their dignity by restoring order to the streets."

He added that the program carries out daily solid-waste collection and is currently preparing plans for the winter season to ensure proper management of water and wastewater.

The campaign included the deployment of machinery and trucks to clear debris from the streets, while dozens of workers and volunteers took part in removing waste and cleaning public areas, as part of broader efforts to restore life to the city after many months of war.