GENEVA, Aug 2, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Nearly two-thirds of the buildings in the
Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed since the Gaza war began in
October, the United Nations said Friday.

"UNOSAT's latest damage building assessment, based on satellite imagery...
reveals that 151,265 structures have been affected in the Gaza Strip," the UN
Satellite Centre said.

"Of these, 30 percent were destroyed, 12 percent severely damaged, 36 percent
moderately damaged, and 20 percent possibly damaged, representing
approximately 63 percent of the total structures in the region."

The assessment was based on comparing imagery from May 2023 onward with
images from July 6 this year.

"The impact on civilian infrastructure is evident, with thousands of homes
and essential facilities being damaged," the agency said.

The October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel that started the war resulted
in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally
based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also seized 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still held captive in
Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory campaign against Hamas has killed at least 39,480 people
in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which does
not give details of civilian and militant deaths.

UNOSAT said the total debris in the Gaza Strip generated by the conflict
amounts to approximately 41.95 million metric tonnes.

The figure is up 83 percent from the nearly 23 million tonnes estimated on
January 7.

The conflict has resulted in 14 times more debris than the combined total
from all previous conflicts in the Palestinian territory since 2008, UNOSAT
said.

The agency estimated that 114 kilogrammes (250 pounds) of debris were
generated for each square metre in the Gaza Strip.

Geneva-based UNOSAT says its satellite imagery-based analysis helps the
humanitarian community assess the extent of conflict-related damage and helps
shape emergency relief efforts.