Over half of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed since Israel began retaliating for Hamas attacks on October 7, according to the latest UN report.
According to the United Nations, more than 1.7 million people, or over 80 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been displaced, with nearly half of them concentrated in the extreme south of the enclave. Satellite analysis revealed that between 1,44,000 and 1,75,000 buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed, representing between 50 and 61 per cent of Gaza’s buildings.
In Khan Younis, over 38,000 (or more than 46 per cent) buildings were burned or damaged. More than 1,500 buildings have been demolished or damaged there in the past two weeks.
Many of Gaza’s historic sites suffered significant damage, including the Al-Omari Mosque, constructed in the 7th century. Corey Scher of City University of New York, who worked on the damage assessment, stated that the destruction of religious sites in Gaza was unique compared to other war zones he had examined.
We’ve worked in Ukraine, Aleppo, and other cities, but the scale and speed of the damage is astonishing. I’ve never seen this much damage occur so quickly.
Further investigation by BBC Verify found that large areas of previously cultivated land were also severely affected. Although the enclave was heavily dependent on imports prior to the conflict, much of its food came from local agriculture and food production.
Major lands in the north and centre of Gaza, where much of the agriculture took place prior to the conflict, appear to have been damaged. In many places, the damage is related to the installation of temporary Israeli defences, earth berms to protect armoured vehicles and the destruction of surrounding areas.
In addition to land affected by road demolition and defence construction, the IDF is accused of deliberate destruction. Farmers who return to work are at risk from unexploded munitions. There is also the challenge of cleansing contaminated land and rebuilding infrastructure, including water, energy and transport systems.
According to the BBC, satellite images taken on December 3 and January 14 indicate a huge change: virtually every undeveloped piece of land in northwest Rafah has been turned into a shelter for displaced Palestinians.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that nearly 27,000 people have been killed, with 66,000 injured since the outbreak of the conflict.
The International Court in The Hague has ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide in Gaza. Israel must stop all actions that could be interpreted as a violation of the Genocide Convention. The judgement was reached after a lawsuit filed by South Africa.
