Mapped: Nearly 60% of Gaza damaged or destroyed in one year of war
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Israeli airstrikes and ground operations ravaged Gaza the past year, destroying essential infrastructure and everyday life for Palestinians.
The big picture: As the war stretches on and expands to southern Lebanon, the humanitarian crisis is worsening in Gaza, where more than 41,600 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, according to local health officials.
- UN Secretary General António Guterres told the AP in September that he's "never seen such a level of death and destruction as we are seeing in Gaza in the last few months."
- Palestinian deaths include more than 11,300 children and nearly 6,300 women, according to the health ministry.
- The UN agency coordinating humanitarian relief estimates about 90% of Gaza's population has been forcibly displaced at least once during the past year of war.
- Many Palestinians have had to leave their homes multiple times, crammed into smaller areas of land and cut off from clean water, electricity and health services.
Zoom in: As of Sept. 25, Israeli military operations damaged or destroyed nearly 60% of buildings in Gaza, according to an analysis of satellite data conducted by Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University and Corey Scher of CUNY Graduate Center.
- An estimated 227,591 housing units have been damaged or destroyed, along with 68% of the enclave's road network, according to two recent analyses from the UN Satellite Center.
- "Only 17 of 36 hospitals remain partially functional, and all suffer from a lack of fuel, medical supplies, and clean water," Oxfam said this week. Reuters reports food insecurity in Gaza may worsen due to new customs rules on humanitarian aid.
Israel's current military offensive in Gaza was sparked by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, when militants killed more than 1,200 people, including 282 women and 36 children.
- 251 adults and children were taken hostage, with about 100 still being held in Gaza.
- Israel has bombarded the enclave, hitting hospitals and schools where it says Hamas operates command centers. Several independent investigations have not found evidence or have raised questions about some of those claims.
Between the lines: While the rate of damage and destruction slowed earlier this year in parts of Gaza, an estimated 70% of buildings have been damaged or destroyed in northern Gaza.
- However, the destruction is increasing in the south near the city of Rafah.
