Gaza in ruins: New Google Maps show devastation of Israeli bombardment on civilians
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A Google Maps update has revealed the devastating state of Gaza, once a densely populated territory of 2.3 million inhabitants, now damaged by unprecedented destruction, with homes, businesses, places of worship and vital infrastructure reduced to rubble as Israel’s bombardment continued despite a fragile ceasefire that came into effect almost 12 months ago.
Images captured in June show vast areas of Gaza transformed into wastelands, while huge tented camps stretch along much of the shoreline, often only metres from the sea. Gaza’s once-busy main port, now badly damaged and devoid of fishing boats, is surrounded by makeshift shelters, while almost every available open space in Gaza City has been filled with tents, shacks and temporary huts, The Guardian reported.
The devastation is particularly stark in northern towns such as Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, where entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed, while places of worship, including the Istiqlal mosque in Khan Younis, have also suffered extensive damage. In Gaza City, neighbourhoods such as Jabaliya and Shuja’iya, repeatedly targeted during Israeli military offensives, now appear largely uninhabitable.
In southern Gaza, vast swathes of rubble stretch across the landscape, while a wide strip along the border with Egypt appears to have been cleared by Israeli forces. Rafah, once a major urban centre, has been reduced almost entirely to ruins, with Tel al-Sultan appearing to have been razed to the ground.
According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, more than 2.1 million displaced Palestinians are living in tents and temporary shelters, while about 82 per cent of Gaza’s structures, or roughly 200,000 buildings, have been damaged.
The UN estimates that Gaza contains about 61 million tonnes of rubble, while human remains are still believed to be buried beneath the ruins.
More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began following Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.