In Gaza, an Unthinkable Number of Buildings Ruined or Damaged

New analysis reveals staggering numbers in Gaza, where between 50% and 61% of the buildings have been damaged or completely destroyed, according to satellite data analysis seen by the BBC. The data looks at sudden changes in height or structure of buildings, and it indicates that somewhere between 144,000 and 175,000 buildings have been impacted to some extent by the war, some of them ruined. The BBC has examples of the satellite images used in the analysis, as well as before and after images, here. The Times of Israel published an article about similar analysis last week, with its data from the World Bank showing 45% of residential buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, as well as 46% of commercial or industrial buildings. It has more details, including the hardest-hit areas, here.

The Guardian also has its own analysis of the satellite data reviewed by the BBC, and offers an interactive scroll-through of three neighborhoods here. More than 80% of Gazans have been displaced, and aid agencies say 50% of the population is in danger of starvation. The issue is bringing more attention to the idea of "domicide," the widespread and intentional destruction of homes that make them uninhabitable and cause displaced people to be unable to return to them. (Some say it should be a war crime.)