What Remains In Gaza

Negotiators reached a deal on Wednesday (January 15) for a ceasefire in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, after 15 months of fighting that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and inflamed the Middle East.

The deal, scheduled to be implemented from tomorrow (January 19), outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Hostages taken by militant group Hamas, which controls the enclave, would be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.

After more than a year of intense aerial bombardment and a ground offensive by Israeli forces against Hamas militants, the toll on infrastructure within the Gaza Strip has been cataclysmic. According to an analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data, as much as 60% of all buildings in Gaza have been likely damaged or destroyed.

The volume of rubble left behind is immense, and adding to the complexity of clearing it after the ceasefire is the large quantity of unexploded ordinance as well as risks from asbestos and other contaminants, especially in refugee camps, and the large number of bodies still lying in the rubble.

The World Health Organization said large amounts of dust released from destroyed buildings are releasing hazardous materials that float into the air or seep into water supplies, risking serious health problems for Gaza’s population.

Within the Gaza Strip, the highest concentration of destruction has been in the northern governorates of Gaza, an area Israeli forces ordered residents to flee in the first month of the conflict after encircling Gaza City, the enclave’s largest city before the conflict.

According to the analysis, as much as 70% of buildings in North Gaza and 74% in Gaza City are likely damaged or destroyed. Satellite images show widespread rubble and the ruins of structures in the area.

With the planned ceasefire days away, violence in Gaza continued on Thursday (January 15). Israel airstrikes killed at least 70 people in Gaza overnight, residents and authorities in the enclave said, hours after the ceasefire deal was announced._Reuters