Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas: What remains of Gaza and its people? | News of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement is set to go into effect on Sunday, January 19, after an agreement was announced on Wednesday to end Israel’s devastating 15-month offensive on the Gaza Strip.

the Three stages The agreement includes a temporary ceasefire, the release of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners, and the return of displaced Palestinians, despite the destruction of many homes in Gaza.

So, what will the Palestinians in Gaza get back?

What is left of Gaza’s population?

Since October 7, 2023, Israel killing At least 46,707 Palestinians were killed and another 110,265 injured – an average of 100 Palestinians killed every day over the past 467 days.

The population of Gaza is estimated at about 2.3 million people, half of whom are children. This population has declined by six percent since the war began.

Over the past 15 months, Israeli attacks have killed two out of every 100 people in Gaza and injured five out of every 100. Some 11,160 people are missing, meaning that one out of every 200 Palestinians in Gaza is missing – and many of them are missing. More than 100 people were buried under him. 42 million tons of aggregate. 100,000 Palestinians left Gaza.

About 9 in 10 Gazans have been displaced – many of whom have been forced to move several times since the war began.

But what should the displaced return to?

According to an analysis by US-based researchers Jamon van den Hoek and Corey Scheer, at least 60 percent of all buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed.

About 90 percent of Gaza’s population has been displaced, making it among the highest rates recorded in modern conflicts, and for many, their entire neighborhoods have been wiped out, including basic services such as hospitals and educational facilities. Not to mention the collapse of vital infrastructure such as sewage systems and electricity services.

Some experts estimate that it will take at least a decade to remove 42 million tons of rubble in Gaza.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of January 14, half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals were partially functioning, 88 percent of schools were damaged or destroyed, and 92 percent of homes were damaged or destroyed. 68% of agricultural land was destroyed, as well as 68% of all roads.

How quickly will Gaza be destroyed?

Israel launched air strikes on Gaza within hours of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Israel began its ground incursion into the northern Gaza Strip, focusing on densely populated areas such as Beit Hanoun and Jabalia.

In the first month of the war, 15% of all buildings were damaged or destroyed, with 34% and 31% of buildings in northern Gaza and Gaza City respectively damaged or destroyed by 10 November.

By January 5, after three months of continuous bombardment in Gaza, nearly half of Gaza’s buildings (44 percent) had been damaged or destroyed. The majority of the damage was concentrated in the north, where about 70 percent of northern Gaza and Gaza City had been destroyed by then.

Medical facilities came under attack from Israeli bombing and ground invasion, which led to the Israeli army besieging hospitals, such as Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, cutting them off from people in need of emergency medicines and treatment.

Fifteen months after the Israeli air strikes, Gaza is little more than a shell of its former self. It is estimated that approximately 60 percent of all buildings were damaged or destroyed, with Gaza City being the worst affected governorate, with 74 percent of buildings destroyed.

What remains of Gaza’s schools?

By August 2024, more than 625,000 school-age children in Gaza had spent an entire year without formal education.

The education system in Gaza is in ruins after the Israeli air strikes. Many of the schools that remain standing are being used as temporary shelters for displaced families, further crippling their ability to function as educational institutions. About 88% of schools, or 496 out of 564, were damaged or destroyed. According to OCHA, at least 503 faculty members were killed, and all university buildings in Gaza were destroyed.

With no infrastructure, staff or supplies, Gaza’s education system has virtually collapsed, raising the question of how to get it back up and running again.

What remains of Gaza’s homes?

Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, leaving millions of people dependent on humanitarian aid for shelter and survival. This mass displacement and destruction of infrastructure highlights the enormous challenges Gaza faces in rebuilding, raising urgent questions about the future of its people and the prospect of any semblance of normality returning to their lives.

About 92 percent (436 thousand) of the residential units were destroyed or damaged, in addition to 80 percent of the commercial facilities. Moreover, nine out of every 10 Palestinians in Gaza are displaced.

What remains of Gaza’s hospitals?

Gaza’s hospitals are on the verge of collapse, having been repeatedly attacked and deprived of basic supplies, despite being explicitly protected under humanitarian law.

This has put many of Gaza’s much-needed hospitals out of service; Only half of them are partially operational, including only one in the entire North Gaza governorate.

In January, health officials in Gaza He said Al-Aqsa, Nasser, and European hospitals are at risk of imminent closure, after repeated Israeli bombing and blockade of supplies.

Restoring Gaza’s hospitals after the ceasefire will require a massive effort, given the importance of restoring electricity and clean water. In some cases, hospitals will need to be completely rebuilt, while securing basic medical supplies and specialist equipment – ​​which Israel cut off during the war – will be imperative.

What remains of agriculture in Gaza?

It is estimated that 68 percent of all agricultural land has now been destroyed. Sentinel-2 satellite images captured a significant reduction in farmland, with northern Gaza suffering the highest percentage of damage per governorate, with more than three-quarters of farmland destroyed.

In addition, most of the livestock in the area died and irrigation systems and other agricultural equipment were destroyed, making the recovery process difficult. The soil must first be cleared of rubble and UXO and then treated to remove contamination.

Rebuilding the agricultural center in Gaza will require significant financial assistance from international organizations.

What remains of Gaza’s roads?

According to UNOSAT data from August 2024, approximately 1,190 kilometers (740 mi) of roads in Gaza were destroyed while 415 kilometers (258 mi) were severely affected and 1,440 kilometers (895 mi) were moderately affected. This represents about 65% of the total road network in the sector.