Daniel Wolfram
Google Maps’ satellite images show just how much Gaza has been left in ruins in under three years.
Israel began its war on Gaza after the October 7 attacks in 2023.
A ceasefire has been in place since October of last year.
Google Maps just made an update to its satellite pictures and it reveals the extent of the devastation the Gaza Strip has suffered.
Unrecognizable Gaza
The Guardian has made side-by-side comparisons of how much has changed and how much has been damaged. The pictures show how whole cities with many homes and businesses have been wiped out.
Furthermore, the UN estimates that destruction in Gaza has increased by 9% since the ceasefire took place.
“The estimate of the total amount of rubble in Gaza is 61m tonnes. It is approximately 20 times the amount of rubble generated in all wars across the world over the last 18 years,” said Jaco Cilliers, a Special Representative at the UN, to The Guardian.
Tents down the shore
While the new pictures show unprecedented devastation all over the city, they also reveal where the 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced.
The images show that tents have been lined up and down the shore close to the sea. This is not only dangerous in case of high tides, but also a sign that what once was a busy harbour is now completely empty.
It is estimated that more than two million people have been displaced after 200,000 buildings in Gaza were damaged.
More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023 – most of them civilians.
