Israeli Assault on Gaza Destroys Nearly 200,000 Housing Units
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Israeli military's relentless assault on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has resulted in the destruction of nearly 200,000 housing units, Palestinian Minister of Public Works and Housing Mohammad Ziyara said.
Ziyara highlighted the severe impact of the bombardment, stating that it has not only erased entire families from the civil registry but also decimated neighborhoods and residential communities.
Moreover, critical facilities such as hospitals, places of worship, bakeries, water filling stations, markets, schools, and educational institutions have been razed to the ground.
Wael Dahdouh, a Palestinian journalist and the bureau chief of Al Jazeera in Gaza City whose family was killed in an Israeli attack last week, reported from Gaza that Israeli air strikes targeted warehouses that were storing food supplies and materials that civilians were using to light fires and cook meals in the Tal al-Hawa area.
The Gaza Strip, home to approximately 2.3 million people, occupies a mere 365 square kilometers (141 square miles).
The United Nations' humanitarian office reports that at least 45 percent of all housing units in the enclave have suffered damage or destruction due to Israeli attacks.
Among the hardest-hit areas are Beit Hanoon, Beit Lahiya, Shujaiya, neighborhoods surrounding the Shati refugee camp, and Abasan al-Kabira in Khan Younis.
This relentless bombardment has led to an estimated 1.4 million people in Gaza being internally displaced, with approximately 629,000 seeking shelter in 150 UN-designated emergency shelters.
Additionally, Israel's total blockade on fuel entering the enclave is seriously jeopardizing critical functions in all hospitals, putting the lives of at least 130 premature babies in incubators, 1,000 kidney dialysis patients who must reduce their treatment sessions, and frontline ambulance workers at risk when the fuel runs out.
The Palestinian Red Crescent says its teams have dealt with 2,580 deaths and 7,667 injuries in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict.
Since the beginning of Israeli attacks in October 7, at least 8,525 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including at least 3,747 children and at least 2,062 women," the OCHA wrote on its website.