Gaza Is Rebuilding With Lego-Like Bricks Made From Rubble
In Gaza, Palestinians are recycling rubble from destroyed buildings into interlocking bricks to address a severe shortage of construction materials. The Green Rock project, led by Suleiman Abu Hassanin, produces Lego-like blocks that require no mortar and offer better insulation than tents. Despite promise, the initiative faces major challenges including lack of funding, equipment, and risks from hazardous materials in debris.
- ▪Gaza contains over 60 million tons of rubble, and hundreds of thousands live in tents with no access to traditional building materials.
- ▪The Green Rock project recycles rubble into interlocking bricks using locally sourced binders instead of cement, which is restricted under the Israeli blockade.
- ▪Current production yields 1,000 to 1,500 bricks per day, enough for a small shelter in about two weeks, but scaling remains limited by power outages and lack of heavy machinery.
- ▪Rubble may contain hazardous substances like asbestos and unexploded ordnance, posing health and safety risks during recycling.
- ▪Funding shortages and political restrictions are the main obstacles preventing the project from expanding beyond experimental stages.
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Hassan HerzallahGearMay 17, 2026 5:00 AMGaza Is Rebuilding With Lego-Like Bricks Made From RubbleAs reconstruction materials remain blocked, Palestinians are crushing debris into interlocking blocks to build shelters from destruction.ILLUSTRATION: WIRED MIDDLE EAST STAFF; GETTY IMAGESCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyInside a makeshift workshop in Gaza, rebuilt after it was damaged by Israeli air strikes, Suleiman Abu Hassanin stands among piles of broken concrete, trying to give them a new form. His voice over the phone sounds tired, carrying the weight of what he is trying to do: rebuild in a place where building materials are no longer available.Gaza’s construction crisis did not begin with the latest war.
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