Three years have passed since Israel's attacks on Gaza. Although a fragile ceasefire has stopped the heaviest fighting, Israeli attacks continue almost daily. According to Gaza Ministry of Health data, more than 74 thousand Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli attacks so far.
As the third year of attacks has passed, most of the approximately 2.4 million Palestinians are still displaced. A significant portion of Palestinians struggling to survive amid widespread destruction are sheltering in tents. Approximately 90 percent of the structures in Gaza were destroyed due to Israeli attacks. In Gaza, where the infrastructure has also been destroyed, thousands of Palestinians struggle to survive in tents because they have no place to stay.
PROSPERITY CITY WAS DESTROYED
Traces of the heavy destruction caused by Israeli attacks can be seen in every region of Gaza. Satellite images reveal the extent of the destruction caused by Israel's attacks across the Gaza Strip. One of the most striking examples of destruction can be seen in Refah. The city of Rafah, where approximately 250 thousand people once lived, was largely destroyed.
Satellite images show that the Israeli army destroyed the southern city and other towns and areas of Gaza, and in some places even removed the debris. The destruction, carried out using bulldozers and explosives, continues after the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas a year ago. The Israeli army continues to consolidate its dominance in approximately 60 percent of the Gaza territory it currently controls.
IT HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST CROWDED TENT CITIES IN THE WORLD
More than one in 10 of Gaza's pre-war population was killed or injured in Israeli attacks. Almost every family is either mourning the loss of their loved ones or caring for the injured. Most of the population had to relocate many times to escape the fighting and Israeli evacuation orders. The coastal region, where almost the entire population is homeless, has now practically turned into one of the most crowded tent cities in the world.
Although the ceasefire agreement has stopped the heaviest clashes and bombardment, Israeli attacks continue. The Israeli army hits tents, vehicles and buildings almost every day in attacks that it claims target Hamas members. Women, children and other family members regularly lose their lives in these attacks.
On the other hand, Israel does not allow most of the construction materials to enter Gaza. The plan for the comprehensive reconstruction of Gaza within the scope of the ceasefire agreement could not be implemented because Israel and Hamas could not reach an agreement on the disarmament of the armed group.
Gaza's population is squeezed into only about 40 percent of the area; The remaining area is under the control of the Israeli army. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC show that the vast majority of buildings in Israeli-controlled territory have been bulldozed or destroyed with explosives, turning them into piles of rubble. Most of the demolition was carried out a year after the intense fighting ended.
ISRAEL DROPPED 16 TIMES MORE EXPLOSIVES THAN THE ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA
Israel made Gaza uninhabitable and bombarded the region from air, land and sea.
According to Palestinian sources, Israel bombarded Gaza with 223 thousand tons of explosives. This number means 16 times more explosive than the atomic bomb dropped by the USA on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.
In addition to these bombardments, Israel deliberately demolished thousands of houses with construction equipment in Gaza, where it wanted to force the Palestinians out.
