Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have come up with an ingenious way of circumventing the Israeli boycott. Since the Israeli offensive at the beginning of this year, Israel has refused to allow any building material into the territory in order to thwart Hamas. However, Gaza does possess two building materials in abundance: clay and rubble. While Gazans wait for reconstruction to begin, houses made from clay and rubble are being built.

The Palestinian organisation Mercy Association for Children has already started construction work on two of the most ambitious projects in the Gaza Strip. In Gaza City, 14 construction workers are busy building a centre for disabled children and a mosque. They are being built out of clay, recycled plastic and rubble from the buildings destroyed by the Israeli army during the offensive.

Ruins
The clay for the bricks is simply dug out of the ground next to the construction site. The clay is mixed with water and straw and put into a mould. Project leader Maher Batroukh says,

"After drying for 10 days, the clay blocks are harder than concrete. The straw in clay bricks makes them flexible, which means that clay houses are far more stable than concrete houses during earthquakes.”

Construction workers don't have to look far to find rubble. The area where the complex is being built is strewn with ruins. The rubble is being used for the foundations of both of the mosque and the children’s centre. So far, the ground and first floors have been completed and the domed ceilings are now under construction.

Three floors
Maher Batroukh is proud of the projects: "We're the first people in Gaza to construct multi-storey buildings using this technique. Both buildings will both have three floors. This is the first time that I've ever used these techniques; normally I build houses from steel and concrete. Even if Israel were to suddenly open all the borders I'd still complete this project. They're going to be beautiful buildings".

Costs are estimated at 133,000 euros and the project, scheduled for completion in six months time, was funded by a Kuwaiti charity.

Smuggled goods
In Gaza markets, the price of concrete is seven times higher now than before war. Glass and steel are extremely expensive and both are difficult to find. A small amount of building material is smuggled in through the tunnels between Egypt and the Gaza Strip but it is not enough to satisfy demand.

The United Nations and aid organisations working in the Gaza Strip are keenly observing Mr Batroukh's construction projects although the UN is not particularly enthusiastic about the new building method. Interim chief of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Aidan O'Leary says, "Despite the fact that it is an extremely old technique, it still needs to be tested". Gaza’s Islamic University is currently conducting tests on the clay bricks.

Housing shortage
UNRWA's Aidan O'Leary says, "Building houses from clay and rubble can play a small part in alleviating the chronic housing shortage but it's certainly not the ideal solution. The question is of course whether Palestinians want to live in clay houses".

However, while the boycott continues, Gazans do not have many options. Around 4000 houses were completely destroyed during the recent fighting and a further 40,000 damaged. Gaza residents cannot wait for tests on the clay bricks to be completed. They need houses now.