Palestinians in Gaza face an apocalyptic scenario after a cease-fire that halted more than 15 months of Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave.
Across Gaza, where refugee camps have been built between cities, piles of rubble stretch as far as the eye can see.
Critics say Israel has waged a scorched-earth campaign to destroy the fabric of life in Gaza, charges that are being considered by two international courts, including the crime of genocide.
International rights groups say the massive destruction is part of a wider pattern of destruction and genocide for Palestinians in Gaza, a charge Israel denies. These groups dispute Israel’s position that the destruction was the result of military activity.
A UN assessment of satellite images shows that by December 1, 2024, more than 60,000 structures in Gaza had been destroyed and more than 20,000 were seriously damaged.
Israel created a buffer zone about one kilometer inside Gaza from its fence, as well as inside the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from the south, and along the Philadelphia Corridor, along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Expansive area.
Wide swaths were leveled in these areas.
