Israel-Palestine war: Before and after satellite images show massive destruction in Gaza | See pics
Gaza, home to approximately 2.3 million people, occupies a tiny area of 365 square kilometers (141 square miles). The United Nations' humanitarian office reports that in the aftermath of Israeli attacks, at least 45 percent of all housing units in the enclave have been damaged or destroyed.
In the wake of the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, the Israeli military has wrought extensive destruction in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 200,000 housing units have been either fully or partially obliterated. According to Mohammad Ziyara, the Palestinian Minister of Public Works and Housing, the impact of this bombardment has been devastating, resulting in the erasure of entire families from civil records and the obliteration of entire neighborhoods and residential communities.
Additionally, the assault has left a trail of destruction, targeting hospitals, places of worship, bakeries, water filling stations, markets, schools, and various educational and service institutions.
Gaza, home to approximately 2.3 million people, occupies a tiny area of 365 square kilometers (141 square miles). The United Nations' humanitarian office reports that in the aftermath of Israeli attacks, at least 45 percent of all housing units in the enclave have been damaged or destroyed.
The most severely affected areas include Beit Hanoon, Beit Lahiya, Shujaiya, the neighborhoods surrounding the Shati refugee camp, and Abasan al-Kabira in Khan Younis. This relentless bombardment has resulted in the internal displacement of an estimated 1.4 million people in Gaza, with approximately 629,000 taking refuge in 150 UN-designated emergency shelters.
Concurrently, Israel's complete blockade on fuel entering the Gaza Strip is having dire consequences, significantly impacting the essential operations of hospitals. This blockade poses a severe risk to the lives of approximately 130 premature babies in incubators, forces 1,000 kidney dialysis patients to reduce their treatment sessions, and prevents front-line ambulance workers from reaching those in need when their fuel supplies are depleted.
IDF releases never-before-seen video, rescues Israeli civilians from Hamas cell | WATCH
It should be noted that since Hamas came to power in 2007, Israel has maintained strict control over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters, tightly regulating the movement of goods and people in and out of the enclave.