In a significant development hailed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a momentous occasion with worldwide implications, Israel and Hamas have reached an initial agreement to halt hostilities in Gaza. Just days after the harrowing October 7 attacks, US President Donald Trump declared the imminent release of all hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops as the first steps towards establishing a lasting peace.
Despite the positive news, the aftermath of the conflict is painfully visible in the devastated streets of Gaza, where over two million Palestinians are grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel’s aggressive military actions have uprooted nearly 90% of Gaza’s population, forcing many to flee multiple times, leaving urban areas in ruins due to relentless bombings and airstrikes.
The extensive destruction in Gaza is starkly evident in satellite images from Google Earth, showing countless buildings reduced to rubble in the main cities. The limited food supplies entering Gaza, overseen by Israel, primarily benefit the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, with reports of numerous Palestinians being shot by Israeli soldiers while trying to access aid sites.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in over a thousand Palestinian casualties in Gaza, with tens of thousands reported dead in Israeli attacks, leaving more than 90% of homes damaged or destroyed. The healthcare system, water supply, and sanitation facilities have collapsed, prompting concerns of a famine in Gaza City.
The two-year war between Israel and Hamas has sparked global outrage and led to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The ceasefire, while a relief, does not erase the trauma and devastation inflicted on Gaza’s residents.
One poignant example is the now-ruined hospital complex in Gaza City, once a vital medical facility in the region. Situated near the coastline and Palestine Stadium, the hospital complex is now a somber reminder of the conflict’s toll, reeking of death and requiring the grim task of recovering decomposed bodies.
The UN Security Council’s discovery of mass graves at hospitals in Gaza has triggered an investigation into potential war crimes by the IDF. Villages like Al-Bayuk and Deir Al-Balah have been left in ruins, with infrastructure damage posing life-threatening risks to the remaining population.
The satellite images from 2021 depict a once-thriving community now reduced to debris and desolation, highlighting the scale of destruction caused by the conflict. The Netzarim Corridor, a former Israeli military zone, now stands abandoned, with Palestinians returning to find their homes destroyed.
The ceasefire may have brought a halt to the violence, but the scars of the conflict run deep, leaving Gaza’s residents to grapple with the aftermath of a devastating war that has reshaped their lives forever.