Gaza, October 18 (QNA) - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced Saturday the initiation of large-scale debris removal operations on main roads in Gaza City to facilitate access to essential services such as hospitals, schools, and damaged infrastructure following the recent devastating Israeli aggression.

Upon visiting one of the operation sites in Gaza, UNDP Special Representative for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, Jaco Cilliers, highlighted that UNDP undertakes the primary step to remove the rubble, which poses a formidable challenge in Gaza, especially as the estimated amount of debris ranges between 55 and 60 million tonnes.

The primary objective is to clean up roads and facilitate access to hospitals, schools, and other social buildings. The uplifted rubble is recycled after being pulverized to be further utilized in paving roads and building foundations for tents and interim facilities, as part of broader efforts to recycle resources and mitigate the environmental impact, Cilliers said.

In this regard, UNDP hopes that these efforts will pave the way for accelerating recovery projects, although officials warn that the operation will require much more resources and time.

Cilliers added that this process is extremely exhausting and will take many years to be completed.

Noteworthy, a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel came into force in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh city on Oct. 10, following the approval of the Israeli occupation government and the initiation of its forces' pullback from populated sites in the enclave.

This was marked by the return of displaced people to northern Gaza and the implementation of the term related to the prisoner swap deal within the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the two-year-old war. (QNA)