GENEVA, October 14. /TASS/. The reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will require as much as $70 bln, Jaco Cilliers, the Special Representative of the Administrator for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, said at a briefing.

"The RDNA [Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment - TASS], which was jointly done by the UN, the European Union, and the World Bank, estimates that about $70 billion will be required for the reconstruction of Gaza," Cilliers said. He did not give any specific estimate for the deadline to complete reconstruction in the Palestinian enclave.

"Very difficult estimate to make. And I think one will have to start with prioritizing what would be the immediate needs," he noted. The goal of the assessment completed "is also not to identify only what has been destroyed, but also to make sure we prioritize what are the areas that first need to be restored and focused on," Cilliers said. "Not all the areas might be restored," he added.