NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since the war began in October, according to a United Nations agency.
The UN’s Satellite Centre has confirmed that the latest damage building assessment, which is based on satellite imagery, reveals that 151,265 structures have been affected in Gaza.
“Of these, 30 percent were destroyed, 12 percent severely damaged, 36 percent moderately damaged, and 20 percent possibly damaged, representing approximately 63 percent of the total structures in the region,” the UN agency said.
Israel has pounded Gaza with bombings in retaliation against Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October.
The latest assessment was based on comparing imagery from May 2023 onward with images from 6 July 2024.
“The impact on civilian infrastructure is evident, with thousands of homes and essential facilities being damaged,” the agency said.
UNOSAT said the total debris in Gaza generated in the conflict amounts to approximately 41.95 million metric tonnes.
The figure is up 83% from the nearly 23 million tonnes estimated on 7 January.
The conflict created 14 times more debris than the combined total from all previous conflicts in the Palestinian territory since 2008, UNOSAT said.
The agency estimated that 114 kilogrammes of debris were generated for each square metre in Gaza.
Geneva-based UNOSAT says its satellite imagery-based analysis helps the humanitarian community assess the extent of conflict-related damage and helps shape emergency relief efforts.
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