Israel This It is systematically destroying homes and infrastructure in Gaza. Three months after what the US president described as “indiscriminate bombings” began Joe BidenThere is virtually nothing left standing or habitable in the upper third of the Strip.
Especially, Northern Gaza GovernorateAccording to damage analysis from the images, it is estimated that 70 to 80 percent of the buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite It was conducted by Corey Scher of CUNY University and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University (both in the United States). There are between 30,700 and 36,600 blocks damaged or destroyed. They use data from radar signals and algorithms to interpret data showing significant damage to most homes in the north. Approximately 270,000 people lived in this region until the Israeli occupation.
Inside City Government In Gaza, which ranks second from the north, the destruction is in a similar range of 70% to 80%, with 42,700 to 49,900 buildings becoming uninhabitable due to damage. This was the most populous region before the war, with a population of more than half a million.
In the central area Deir el-BalahOut of a population of approximately 216,000, between 11,600 and 15,500 buildings were damaged or destroyed (23% to 31% of the total).
Inside Jan YunusBetween 26,600 and 34,800 buildings in a region with a population of approximately 300,000 were severely affected (32-42%). Rafah, on the border with Egypt, is the least affected province, with 7,300 to 10,900 buildings, or 15% to 22% of the total.
In addition to houses, bakery factories or government buildings that are no longer operating in the Strip are also bombed. Recently, Gaza Medical Faculty was completely blown up.
In total, 85 percent of 2.2 million Gazans had to leave their homes. Many of them no longer have a home to return to.
Fear of ethnic cleansing
The destructive intent is revealed both in satellite data and in dozens of videos and statements by members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government.
Videos featuring Israeli soldiers on social networks are increasing They boast or mock systematic destruction residential buildings, sometimes entire neighborhoods.
In one of them, a group of soldiers can be seen smoking hookah and smiling in front of four houses. One of them presses the button and four buildings explode and disappear from the skyline. babies back then they burst into laughter and they provide it.
Israel assures that its aim is to “put an end” Hamas“, the Islamist organization that killed nearly 1,200 Israelis on October 7. However, Western governments and the United Nations are warning Tel Aviv against the possibility of using these bombings. as part of the fait accompli policy To expel the people of Gaza from all or part of the Strip forever.
Israeli Ministers of National Security and Finance, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, In the face of criticism from the international community, including the USA, the aim was to deport Palestinians to other countries, which would amount to ethnic cleansing. Former Minister of Religious Affairs Amihai Eliyahu joked on a television program this week and assured: “Actually, we are not talking about a transfer, we are talking about improving the housing of Gaza residents.”
“International law Prohibits forced displacement of protected persons within or within an occupied territory deportation“said Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
South Africa announced last week that it had applied to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to impose interim measures against Israel in order to protect the Palestinian people from the “genocide” committed in the Gaza Strip. He joins the demand of hundreds of lawyers for genocide crimes to be investigated at the International Criminal Court.
Since the start of Israel’s attack on Gaza, in addition to material destruction, more than 22,300 Palestinians have been killed and around 50,000 seriously injured.