Gazans continue rebuilding territory

A year has passed since Israel's military offensive, dubbed "Operation Last Lead." How well are the Strip's traumatized residents managing to rebuild their lives and homes?

Let's turn to a look at life in today's Gaza, and a few answers to those questions.

Certain hard-hit sites in the Gaza Strip, such as the Abed Rabbo neighborhood, look like last year's war never ended. Israel's ongoing blockade bans concrete, steel, and many other materials. The embargo has also wiped out thousands of manufacturing jobs.

But amid the desolation, some are managing to move forward. One area businessman has found a way to build with local supplies. He uses mud bricks and revived ancient techniques, domed roofing for example, that don't require steel support.

Emad Khaldi, Director of Homebuilding Factory, said, "We do not use any material, any normal material, like steel, like concrete, like cement. We just use bricks. Natural bricks."

A man stands inside a bomb shelter being built next to a home in the Israeli city of Sderot which lies just a few miles from the Gaza border(AFP/File/David Buimovitch)