Satellite images analyzed by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) reveal the extensive damage inflicted upon Gaza amid the recent conflict with Israel. The assault, prompted by attacks from Hamas militants in southern Israel, resulted in devastating destruction, according to health authorities in Gaza.The conflict, which began on October 7, has claimed the lives of nearly 32,000 Palestinians, with approximately 1,200 casualties reported in Israel due to a Hamas raid. UNOSAT conducted its assessment using high-resolution satellite images collected on February 29, comparing them with pre-conflict and post-conflict imagery.The findings indicate that 35% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip, which had 88,868 buildings, have been damaged or destroyed. Among these, 31,198 structures were identified as destroyed, 16,908 as severely damaged, and 40,762 as moderately damaged.Big spike in destruction This is a big increase from a previous assessment based on January images, which showed that 30% of buildings were damaged or destroyed. UNOSAT highlighted that the governorates of Khan Younis and Gaza suffered the most substantial rise in damage, with Khan Yunis witnessing an additional 12,279 damaged structures and Gaza experiencing 2,010.Particularly hard-hit is Khan Younis City, with 6,663 newly destroyed structures, according to the report. The data underscores the extensive devastation inflicted upon Gaza during the recent conflict.
