UN: Two-Thirds of Buildings in Gaza Damaged or Destroyed

The United Nations stated on Friday that approximately two-thirds of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, based on satellite imagery. The UN's satellite analysis agency (UNOSAT) announced in a statement that "the latest damage assessment reveals that 151,265 buildings in the Gaza Strip have been affected." This estimate is based on images collected on July 6, which were compared to earlier images taken in May 2023. Among the damaged buildings, "30 percent were destroyed, 12 percent were severely damaged, 36 percent were moderately damaged, and 20 percent were likely damaged, representing about 63 percent of all buildings in the area," UNOSAT clarified. The agency added that "the impact on civilian infrastructure is evident, as thousands of homes and essential facilities have been damaged." The UN estimates the volume of debris resulting from the war in Gaza to be approximately 41.9 million tons.