Attachments
The following information is provided as part of a series of eight fact sheets on Housing, Land and Property issues in Gaza. The fact sheets are intended to inform persons displaced in the latest Gaza conflict about their housing rights. The sheets are also designed to help agencies assisting displaced persons with their transitional shelter needs, as well as policy- and decision-makers planning how to address the shelter needs of beneficiaries.
1. Background
The legal framework governing housing, land and property in the Gaza Strip consists of various Ottoman, British, Egyptian and Palestinian laws and regulations. There is no unified land law. Not only is the legal situation regarding land law and ownership confusing and complex, but in addition, based on information provided by the Palestinian Li Authority, 30 per cent of the land in the Gaza Strip has not been surveyed, whilst 30 per cent of land (mostly privately owned) remains unregistered. As the reconstruction effort in Gaza commences and many thousands of displaced persons return to their land, it is critical to establish ownership over the land prior to rebuilding on the land or allocating reconstruction grants. This fact sheet outlines the key types of land ownership in Gaza.