The Gaza Strip continues to bear the devastating scars of three years of conflict following Israel’s military campaign that began after Hamas carried out attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Once home to around two million Palestinians, the enclave has witnessed widespread destruction, significant civilian casualties, mass displacement, and ongoing hardship.

Satellite imagery shows extensive demolition across Gaza, particularly in cities such as Rafah, Jabalya, Beit Hanoun, and Shijaiya. Rafah, once a city of roughly 250,000 residents, has been largely razed, with many buildings reduced to rubble and cleared away. Israeli military forces control just over 60 percent of Gaza’s territory, where they have erected at least 50 military outposts, including several established since a ceasefire deal took effect nearly a year ago. These bases often occupy spaces where residential neighborhoods previously stood.

The Israeli military states that its demolition operations aim to prevent Hamas militants from using buildings or tunnel networks for military purposes. However, United Nations experts have described the scale of civilian housing and infrastructure destruction as unprecedented and raised concerns that such practices might amount to crimes against humanity or even genocide under international law. Israel rejects these allegations, maintaining that its strikes target militant infrastructure embedded within civilian areas.

The physical damage is accompanied by a severe humanitarian crisis. Over 10 percent of Gaza’s prewar population has been killed or injured in the conflict, with many families mourning losses and caring for the wounded. The dense population, now largely confined to about 40 percent of Gaza’s territory, lives primarily in makeshift shelters fashioned from tents along beaches, former farmlands, and vacant lots. Restrictions on entry of building materials have severely hampered reconstruction efforts, leaving most displaced residents unable to rebuild their homes.

Several individuals exemplify the widespread human suffering. Najwa Abu Eita lost her young daughter in an Israeli strike and sustained serious injuries herself. Once a hairdresser, she now lives in a tent near the ruins of her home, unable to work. Similarly, Shadi Barawi, who lost his father early in the war and later had his leg amputated from shrapnel injuries, struggles to support his family while working as a barber from his tent. His experience is shared by thousands of amputees in Gaza resulting from the conflict.

Efforts to recover the bodies of those killed have been slow and painful. Many bodies remain trapped beneath rubble from Israeli strikes, with families and authorities painstakingly searching demolition sites. For example, after hours of digging through the ruins of her home, Haneen Al Khodari was only able to recover the remains of a small child and a few bones out of 17 family members believed to be buried beneath.

Although a ceasefire agreement has halted major hostilities, Israeli strikes continue periodically, targeting what Israel describes as Hamas operatives but often resulting in civilian casualties. Reconstruction plans tied to the ceasefire have faltered due to the lack of agreement between Israel and Hamas on the disarmament of the militant group.

Three years after the outbreak of the conflict, Gaza remains a landscape of destruction and displacement, with its population confronting the ongoing challenges of survival under difficult circumstances and uncertain prospects for recovery.