A UN report has detailed the extensive destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the six months following the October 7th conflict, highlighting the devastation to buildings, agricultural land, and vital infrastructure. The report, shared by Axios to mark the one-year anniversary of the war, stated that strikes affected every residential area across the Gaza Strip, resulting in thousands of deaths and the displacement of around 85% of Gaza’s population.
Even before the October 7 conflict, years of Israeli blockade and military operations had left many Gazans without adequate access to clean water, electricity, or sanitation. According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), if the war were to end today, it would take Gaza 70 years to recover its 2022 GDP levels.
From October 7 to April 2, Israeli military operations damaged or destroyed over 50% of buildings in Gaza, including more than 70% in northern areas, according to satellite data analyzed by experts from Oregon State University and the City University of New York. The report noted that Israeli strikes targeted essential infrastructure, including schools, bakeries, mosques, and cultural heritage sites. Hospitals were also systematically targeted.
Agricultural destruction was equally devastating. A separate analysis by Hai Yin from Kent State University revealed that Israeli operations destroyed nearly 50% of Gaza’s tree crops and 42% of greenhouses. Yin noted that the level of destruction in Gaza surpassed other war-affected areas he had studied, such as Chechnya and Syria. This damage is particularly harmful, as agriculture is critical to Gaza’s economy and culture, with the looming threat of famine becoming more severe.
Nasser Quddus, director of the agriculture and livelihoods program at the relief organization ANERA, stated that many olive groves in northern Gaza were destroyed or left unharvested during Israel’s invasion in October and November, causing severe losses for farmers. The prices of greenhouse-grown vegetables also spiked due to the destruction of facilities and farmers’ inability to access their remaining crops.
The olive tree, a major agricultural product and cultural symbol in Gaza, was heavily affected. A digital forensic investigation conducted by a team from the University of London concluded that Israel systematically targeted agricultural land and infrastructure during the siege. As reconstruction plans for Gaza remain uncertain, the report questions the future steps to rebuild the devastated region.
