Gaza Herald- Seven hundred days into Israel’s war on Gaza, the scale of devastation is almost beyond comprehension. Since October 2023, the enclave’s 2.4 million residents have been subjected to relentless bombardment, siege, and forced starvation.
The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza released a report on Saturday documenting the full breadth of destruction: entire neighborhoods flattened, families wiped out, and a population pushed to the brink of extermination.
Relentless Bombardment and Seized Land
According to the report, Israel has dropped over 150,000 tons of explosives on Gaza since the war began. More than 90 percent of the territory has been destroyed, while Israeli forces have seized over 80 percent of Gaza’s land through bombardment, invasion, and forced displacement. Even areas labeled as “humanitarian safe zones” , such as Al-Mawasi , have not been spared, bombed more than 109 times. Economic damage has surpassed 68 billion dollars.
Human Toll: Families Erased, Children Massacred
The death toll has reached horrifying levels: 73,731 Palestinians are confirmed dead or missing. Of these, 64,300 bodies have reached hospitals, while 9,500 remain under rubble or unaccounted for. Children have borne the brunt of Israel’s assault, with over 20,000 killed, alongside 12,500 women , including 8,990 mothers , and more than 22,000 fathers. Infants have not been spared: 1,009 were killed before their first birthday, and 450 newborns died shortly after birth.
Entire families have been annihilated: nearly 40,000 families have suffered massacres, with 2,700 completely erased and 6,020 reduced to a single survivor. Over 55 percent of the victims are women, children, and the elderly.
Starvation, Disease, and the Collapse of Health Care
Starvation has become a weapon of war. At least 376 people, including 134 children, have died of hunger and malnutrition, while failed aid airdrops killed 23 more. Kidney patients, cancer sufferers, and expectant mothers have been abandoned: 41 percent of kidney patients have died, more than 12,000 pregnant women have miscarried, and 17 people , including 14 children , froze to death in displacement camps.
The wounded number 162,005, with 19,000 requiring long-term rehabilitation, 4,800 amputations (18 percent children), 1,200 paralyzed, and 1,200 blinded. Israel has also detained 6,691 civilians, including medical staff and journalists, while disease spreads unchecked: over 2.14 million infectious cases and 71,000 cases of hepatitis have been recorded.
Widows, Orphans, and the Loss of Generations
The war has created 21,182 widows and 56,320 orphans. More than 1,670 medical workers, 248 journalists, and 860 athletes are among the dead. Municipal leaders, civil defense members, and police officers have also been targeted.
The education system is devastated: 95 percent of schools destroyed or damaged, with 662 buildings targeted, 163 schools and universities leveled, and 388 partially destroyed. More than 13,500 students have been killed, 785,000 deprived of education, and 193 academics and researchers assassinated.
Cultural and Religious Erasure
The destruction has extended to Gaza’s cultural and religious life. Israel has leveled 833 mosques, damaged 180 more, and bombed three churches repeatedly. Cemeteries have been desecrated, with 40 destroyed, 2,450 bodies stolen from graves, and mass graves dug within hospitals.
Housing and Infrastructure in Ruins
Housing has been obliterated, with 268,000 units destroyed, 148,000 uninhabitable, and 153,000 partially damaged, leaving 288,000 families homeless. Tents housing survivors are now unfit for shelter, with 2 million forcibly displaced and 273 shelters targeted.
Infrastructure has collapsed: 725 water wells, 134 freshwater projects, 5,080 km of power lines, 2,285 transformers, 700,000 meters of pipes and sewage networks, and more than 3 million meters of roads destroyed. Government, sports, and cultural facilities have also been systematically wiped out.
Agriculture and Famine
The agricultural sector has suffered 2.8 billion dollars in losses. 94 percent of farmland destroyed, vegetable production dropped from 405,000 tons to 28,000 tons, and fisheries have been wiped out entirely. Livestock farms are gone.
The United Nations has confirmed famine, with at least 339 people , including 124 children , dead from hunger as of August 2025. Israel has kept Gaza’s crossings closed for 186 days, blocking 111,600 aid and fuel trucks, while bombing 46 soup kitchens, 61 food distribution centers, and 128 humanitarian convoys, killing 67 aid workers and leaving thousands dead or missing.
Medical and Humanitarian Needs Denied
Tens of thousands remain without lifesaving care. Over 22,000 patients require treatment abroad, including 5,200 children, but are denied travel permits. More than 12,500 cancer patients face certain death without medicine. 350,000 chronic patients, 3,000 in need of specialized treatment, and 107,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are all at severe risk due to the healthcare collapse.
A Future Stolen
Seven hundred days of war have left Gaza not only shattered but deliberately unlivable. With entire generations wiped out, families erased, and famine looming, Palestinian officials describe Israel’s campaign as genocide. Human rights groups warn that Gaza’s tragedy risks becoming a “blueprint” for future wars where starvation and mass killing are used as weapons of control.
As the siege enters its third year, the world is left with a haunting question: how long will Gaza be left to bleed before the international community acts to end this genocide?
