Rare aerial footage reveals the devastation in Gaza, yet the full scale of destruction and the true death toll remain unclear due to restricted access for journalists and investigators, who are only permitted to enter under exceptional circumstances and always under the escort of Israeli soldiers.
As a result, independent researchers and journalists have turned to satellite imagery, public records, and field investigations to estimate the human and material losses. Their findings suggest the death toll could be even higher than the 60,000+ reported by Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
A study published in The Lancet in January estimated that the number of deaths in Gaza during the first nine months of the war was roughly 40% higher than official figures reported by the ministry.
The UN estimates that just 1.5% of Gaza’s agricultural land remains cultivable, raising the risk of widespread famine.
In an assessment conducted in early April, a UN agency reported damage to over 190,000 buildings, approximately 70% of all structures in Gaza. Of these, around 102,000 are believed to have been completely destroyed. The World Bank estimates that this corresponds to roughly 300,000 homes lost, including 77% of all apartment buildings.
Before October 7, 2023, Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents, half of them children, lived in an area of 365 square kilometers, with a population density similar to that of Madrid. By July 30, however, the Israeli military (IDF) had displaced the population into just 12.7% of that territory, where many are now living in tents.
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