Gaza has been dismantled. What was once a territory teeming with life, streets, hospitals, and schools, is now reduced to rubble, dust, and despair. In less than two years, the Israeli offensive has destroyed or damaged 70% of the Strip's structures, according to United Nations data. Daily life in the area has changed completely.
Updated satellite images from Google Maps reflect the impact: entire neighborhoods razed, roads unusable, hospitals bombed. The photographs show the methodical demolition of almost the entire territory and basic infrastructure, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports.
Israeli operations have left 92% of homes (436,000) uninhabitable. More than 2,300 educational centers have been destroyed or damaged. And basic infrastructure, such as the health system and access to water and sanitation, is at the limit of its operational capacity.
Of all the hospitals, only 18 are partially operational. Some of the largest, such as Al Aqsa and Nasser, have been attacked multiple times. In the north, not a single medical center remains fully operational. Even Al Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, ran out of fuel and had to temporarily suspend dialysis treatments. More than 50 million tons of rubble litter the landscape, and according to UN estimates, it will take more than two decades to clear it.
And as the bombs fall, the water disappears. Gaza already had water problems before the war, but now the crisis has become unsustainable. Most wells are contaminated, damaged, or located in areas where no one can access without risking their lives. Eighty-two percent of water facilities are affected, and in areas like Gaza City, the taps have been completely dry for days.
Hundreds of thousands of people walk every day in search of a little water, even salty or dirty water. The only desalination plant is barely operating, and NGO water trucks are overwhelmed. Sewage overflows into inhabited areas, and garbage (more than 250,000 tons in Gaza City alone) piles up due to a lack of equipment and personnel.
Sometimes I feel like my body is drying up from the inside. Thirst drains me of all my energy, Um Nidal Abu Nahl, a mother of four, tells AFP from Gaza City. And so do my children.
Meanwhile, nearly 88% of the territory is under evacuation orders or has been converted into a military zone. Options for moving, seeking help, or even surviving are minimal. The Strip is trapped in a trap with no way out.
In this context, even within Israel, voices are beginning to be heard calling for a halt. Nearly 600 former security officials, including former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, signed a letter calling for an end to the war. This war is no longer just, they warn. They believe the military objectives have already been achieved and that continuing it only makes the situation worse for everyone.
