Satellite images reveal Gaza devastation after Israeli genocide
13:36, 28/09/2026, MondayU: Update: 14:35, 28/09/2026, Monday
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File photoUpdated satellite imagery available on Google Maps has revealed the extensive scale of devastation across the Gaza Strip following Israel's genocidal war, displaying entire residential neighborhoods reduced to rubble and underscoring the persistent dangers that damaged structures pose to Palestinian civilians returning to the area.
Updated satellite imagery published on Google Maps has revealed the sweeping scale of urban destruction across the Gaza Strip, displaying vast residential zones where densely populated neighborhoods once stood now reduced to expanses of rubble and debris.
Urban landscape transformed
The aerial photographs capture a dramatic transformation of Gaza's landscape, with destruction extending beyond isolated structures to encompass entire city blocks. Residential areas that previously housed thousands of families now appear as flattened terrain marked by layers of debris — a stark contrast to the dense urban fabric visible in pre-war imagery. The documentation allows direct visual comparison between the territory's current state and its condition before October 2023.
UN documents destruction scale
According to a February report by the UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Israeli forces dropped more than 200,000 tons of explosives on the enclave over nearly two years of warfare. A separate satellite assessment conducted by the UN Satellite Centre reported that approximately 201,290 buildings — equivalent to 82% of all structures in the Gaza Strip — sustained damage as of mid-June 2026. The tally includes 134,422 destroyed buildings, 13,848 severely damaged structures, and tens of thousands of additional housing units marked as moderately or possibly damaged.
Risks persist after truce
The visual evidence emerges as Palestinian civilians continue facing mortal risks from the destruction months after a ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. Dozens of structurally compromised buildings have collapsed on residents since the truce began, while thousands of weakened structures pose heightened collapse risks during weather events. Israel's war on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000 others since October 8, 2023, with around 90% of the enclave's infrastructure destroyed or damaged during the campaign.