In brief
Israeli airstrikes and demolitions in Gaza City have resulted in significant destruction over recent weeks, with satellite images indicating the level of devastation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim control over 40% of the city. The current military campaign, triggered by a breakdown in ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, is raising alarm among humanitarian officials regarding the potential for a full-blown catastrophic impact on civilians. Over 1.9 million residents have been displaced, with concerns intensifying as the IDF focuses on dismantling perceived terrorist infrastructures.
Israeli strikes and demolitions have destroyed dozens of buildings in areas of Gaza City, satellite images show, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed its offensive has established control over 40% of the city.
The new images reviewed by BBC Verify indicate that intensive bombardments and controlled explosions have leveled several neighborhoods over the past four weeks. Rows of tents, which sprung up to shelter Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military campaign, have also vanished.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to seize the entirety of the Gaza strip and launch an incursion into Gaza City after indirect talks with Hamas concerning a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July.
UN humanitarian officials have warned that the consequences of a full-blown offensive would be beyond catastrophic. Strikes have escalated in areas of Gaza City recently, with reports of dozens of Palestinian casualties this week according to the Hamas-run health ministry and civil defense agency.
Satellite images show that significant damage has occurred in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan, Zeitoun, and Tuffah neighborhoods recently, with dozens of buildings reportedly leveled between August and September.
The IDF stated it was locating and destroying terror infrastructures embedded, among other things, inside buildings. Evidence from BBC Verify indicates extensive demolition in Sheikh Radwan, with visible tracks left by Israeli armored vehicles where buildings once stood.
Other neighborhoods like Zeitoun have also shown signs of destruction, with multiple buildings demolished in a brief period. These strikes have displaced thousands, with estimates suggesting over 1.9 million Gazans have now been displaced, about 90% of the population.
According to the UN, while some displaced individuals returned to northern Gaza earlier in the year after a temporary ceasefire, the resurgence of violence has prompted further displacements.
In Tuffah, Israeli strikes killed at least eight people recently. Images from the area depict more buildings destroyed, including a school, further compounding the humanitarian crisis.
The armed conflict in Gaza was instigated by a Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people and held 251 more hostage in October 2023. Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry reports that at least 64,231 individuals have died in the ongoing Israeli offensive.
The situation remains dire as both sides appear entrenched in their positions, and casualties on both sides continue to mount amid a changing landscape in Gaza City.
