New satellite images reveal the extent of the destruction in the Gaza Strip after more than two years of Israeli attacks during the war with Hamas.
Planet Labs PBC released the images on Tuesday, showing the Palestinian enclave before the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, 2023, and after the war began.
An estimated 192,812 – about 78% – of all structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, according to a July report from the United Nations Satellite Center.
Where houses, buildings and fields once stood in the southern city of Rafah were now craters and barren wastelands.
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In Jabaliya, a town north of Gaza City, areas that were once green have turned to dust and dirt around decimated structures.
In northeastern Gaza, the city of Beit Hanoun appeared to be razed to the ground. Before the war, it was estimated that tens of thousands of people lived in the city.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has displaced about 90% of Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents, often multiple times, and restrictions on humanitarian aid have contributed to a severe hunger crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.
More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-led government. The ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It is said that women and children make up about half of the deaths.
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The war between Israel and Hamas began after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, storming army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including women, children and older adults.
Hamas has kidnapped 251 others, most of whom have since been released under ceasefire or other agreements. There are still 48 hostages in Gaza, about 20 of whom Israel says are still alive.
Hamas has said it will only release them in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all prisoners are returned and Hamas is removed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
