Ref: 57/2021Date: 17 November 2021 On Wednesday, 17 November 2021, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights launched “Israeli Military Aggression on the Gaza Strip May 2021: House Demolitions” a report on the human tragedy of thousands of Palestinians whose homes were destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in its May 2021 military aggression on the Gaza Strip. At the moment, thousands live in temporary housing arrangements as the reconstruction efforts are yet to start, six months after the end of the aggression.The report addresses the Israeli occupation’s systematic practices displayed in May, where civilian homes were premeditatedly targeted; destroying thousands of houses with varying degrees of destruction: total destruction, substantial partial damage, and partial damage. As per Palestinian human rights organizations’ data, 7,680 residential units were destroyed in the aggression: 1,313 totally destroyed; 6,367 partially. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works announced that 57,186 residential units were damaged in the attacks, including 1,514 totally destroyed units, 88 units sustained substantial partial damage making them unsafe for human use; and 54,792 units were partially damaged.As per the report, the discrepancy between human rights organizations and the Ministry of Public Works’ data is attributed to different classification standards, as the Ministry included residential units that sustained minimal damage in their report (exp. Broken windows) in its total of damaged residential units.The report asserted that the aggression aggravated the housing crisis in the Gaza Strip, as it had a 100,000-unit deficit pre-aggression. This is mainly caused by the unjust Israeli closure, ongoing for 15 years now, and the repeated Israeli military operations.The report highlights that although the housing sector was among the most compensated sectors, benefiting from previous reconstruction and financing programs; there are still 1,300 residential units that were completely destroyed in the 2014 Israeli military offensive on Gaza, and 75,000 partially destroyed ones, awaiting reconstruction, as per the statistics of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.The report reviews the obstacles and challenges facing the reconstruction process for houses destroyed in the May 2021 aggression, and attributes delays to two major reasons: the  Israeli restrictions on the import of construction materials, and delays in donors’ fulfilment of their pledges for reconstruction.The report affirms that this delay is a flagrant breach of people’s right to enjoy an adequate shelter. Its findings also support the conclusion that Israel’s premeditated attacks on Palestinians’ houses in the Gaza Strip is in breach of the rule of the international humanitarian law (IHL), particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits occupying powers from destroyed the properties of the people living in the occupied territory.In conclusion, the report offered recommendations for an immediate commencement of the reconstruction process to alleviate civilians’ suffering, particularly those whose homes were completely destroyed. It also demanded donor countries to fulfill their financial pledges to enable the start of reconstruction efforts. PCHR also called upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to execute practical steps to compel the Israeli occupation to lift all forms of closure and open the Gaza crossings to accelerate the reconstruction process of all the damage caused by the Israeli occupation forces in its May 2021 aggression.