More than half of Gaza structures destroyed or damaged: UN

Some 55% of all structures in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed, damaged, or possibly damaged since war erupted in the Palestinian territory eight months ago, according to preliminary satellite analysis by the U.N.

UNOSAT, the U.N. satellite analysis agency, said on X that the analysis showed more than 1,37,000 buildings affected.

The estimate is based on a satellite image taken on May 3 and compared with images taken in May a year earlier, last September, and on October 15 — just over a week after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war.

UNOSAT said the fresh satellite image was also compared to images taken on several dates in November and again during the first months of this year.

The agency said in a statement, “According to satellite imagery analysis, UNOSAT identified 36,591 destroyed structures.”

In addition, it said it had seen “16,513 severely damaged structures, 47,368 moderately damaged structures, and 36,825 possibly damaged structures for a total of 137,297 structures”.

“These correspond to around 55% of the total structures in the Gaza Strip and 1,35,142 estimated damaged housing units,” it said.