As a result of the restrictions on even basic materials, such as cement and gravel, less than one percent of the construction materials required in the Gaza Strip to build or rebuild Palestinian homes have been allowed into the area.283 The Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) is a UN-brokered agreement intended to facilitate inflow of goods necessary for the Gaza Strip’s recovery, whilst at the same time meeting Israel’s stated “security concerns”.284 However, instead of easing the vast human impact of the blockade, the GRM has effectively given Israel veto power over which Palestinians are able to rebuild or repair their homes, and also provides Israel with detailed information on Palestinian households, including confidential information such as ID card numbers and the GPS coordinates of their properties.285 Under the GRM, Palestinian households are required to go through a fourstage process in order to be permitted to rebuild or repair their homes:286 1. Palestinian families need to undergo a needs assessment in order to qualify for having their house rebuilt after it has been damaged or destroyed. 2. The PA has to provide the families’ personal information to Israeli authorities. The latter then have 48 hours to object to any name on the list, which effectively gives Israel the power to decide which individuals and families can rebuild their homes and which cannot. 3. Israeli authorities calculate exactly which materials - and what amount of said materials - approved families may collect from Israeliapproved vendors. On account of the attention paid to Israel’s socalled security concerns, Israel has been given complete control over any materials considered “dual use” including basic construction materials such as cement, bricks and steel.287 In fact, disagreements between the PA and Israel over Israel’s formula for determining the exact amount of construction materials required needed for each 283 OCHA – Occupied Palestinian Territories, “The Gaza Strip: The Humanitarian Impact of the Blockade”, July 2015, page 1. Available at: www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_blockade_factsheet_ july_2015_english.pdf 284 UN Security Council, “Warning Security Council in Briefing that Gaza Could ‘Implode, or Explode Again’, Political Envoy for Middle East Urges ‘Revised and Credible’ Political Framework”, United Nations, 16 December 2014. Available at: http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11563.doc.htm 285 Ali Abunimah, “Uncer cover of reconstruction, UN and PA become enforcers of Israel’s Gaza siege”, The Electronic Intifada, 17 October 2014. Available at: electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/ under-cover-reconstruction-un-and-pa-become-enforcers-israels-gaza-siege 286 Ibid. 287 Peter Beaumont, “Gaza reconstruction plan ‘risks putting UN in charge of Israeli blockade’”, The Guardian, 3 October 2014. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/03/gazareconstruction-plan-un-israel-blockade 74