GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Khalil Muttair and the six construction workers he has employed for 11 years have not taken on any construction projects over the last seven months, as the construction sector in the Gaza Strip has been deteriorating for years.
Speaking to Al-Monitor, Muttair attributed this crippling situation to several factors, most notably the stalemate in urban construction because of the financial crises plaguing the Gaza Strip in light of the Palesitnian Authority's inability to pay the full salaries of government employees. Young couples, for instance, prefer to rent prefabricated apartments that cost between $150 and $300 per month, because they are unable to buy a house.