Israel’s yearlong offensive against Hamas, launched in response to the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack into Israel, has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused staggering destruction across the Gaza Strip that could take decades to rebuild.
Hundreds of thousands of people are crammed into squalid tent camps with no homes to return to, even if there is a cease-fire. The mountains of rubble alone, laced with human remains, unexploded ordnance and other hazardous materials, could take years to remove.
Israel blames the destruction on Hamas. Its Oct. 7 attack on Israel — in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage — ignited the war. Hamas embedded much of its military infrastructure, including hundreds of kilometers (miles) of tunnels, in densely populated areas where some of the heaviest battles were fought.
The fighting left roughly a quarter of all structures in Gaza destroyed or severely damaged, according to a U.N. assessment in September based on satellite footage. It said around 66% of structures, including more than 227,000 housing units, had sustained at least some damage.
Here’s a look at the main takeaways from an AP interactive report looking at the scope of the devastation.
Tens of thousands were killed
Israel’s offensive has killed over 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 96,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It does not say how many were fighters, but says women and children make up more than half of those killed.
It also says the toll may be higher as thousands of bodies remain buried under rubble or in areas that are inaccessible to medical teams.
Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, but has not provided evidence. Over 720 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7, including in the attack itself, the war in Gaza and the conflict with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group.
Hundreds of thousands displaced
The U.N. estimates that around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people have been displaced, often multiple times. Israeli evacuation orders now cover around 90% of the territory.
Schools have been turned into shelters, and hundreds of thousands have crammed into sprawling tent camps along the coast.
The Shelter Cluster, an international coalition of aid providers led by the Norwegian Refugee Council, says it has struggled to bring in basic supplies because of Israeli restrictions, the ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order in Gaza.
It estimates that some 900.000 people are in need of tents and bedding.
Critical infrastructure has been destroyed
The war has gutted Gaza’s infrastructure, which was already in bad shape after a 16-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt when Hamas seized power in 2007.
The U.N. says the war has damaged or destroyed over 92% of Gaza’s main roads and more than 84% of its health facilities.
It estimates nearly 70% of Gaza’s water and sanitation plants have been destroyed or damaged. That includes all five of the territory’s wastewater treatment facilities, plus desalination plants, sewage pumping stations, wells and reservoirs.
The breakdown of water infrastructure has flooded the streets with sewage in many areas, contributing to the spread of disease among a population weakened by widespread hunger.
Mountains of rubble will take years to remove
Where houses, shops and office buildings once stood, there are now giant drifts of rubble laced with human remains, hazardous substances and unexploded munitions.
The U.N. estimates the war has left some 40 million tons of debris and rubble in Gaza, enough to fill New York’s Central Park to a depth of eight meters (about 25 feet). It could take up to 15 years and nearly $650 million to clear it all away, it said.
Rebuilding could take decades
The World Bank estimated $18.5 billion in damage in Gaza from just the first three months of the war, before several major Israeli operations. That figure is nearly equivalent to the combined economic output of the West Bank and Gaza in 2022.
Wealthy Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have said they are only willing to contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction as part of a postwar settlement that creates a path to a Palestinian state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled that out, saying he won’t allow Hamas or even the Western-backed Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza. He has said Israel will maintain open-ended security control and delegate civilian affairs to local Palestinians. But none are known to have volunteered, and Hamas has threatened to kill anyone who aids the occupation.
Israel allowed construction materials in before the war, but the system was subject to heavy restrictions and delays.
The Shelter Cluster estimates that it would take 40 years to rebuild all of Gaza’s destroyed homes under that system.
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