Middle East

Assessing the Damage and Destruction in Gaza

The damage to Gaza’s infrastructure from the current conflict is more severe than the destruction caused by either of the last two Gaza wars, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) and other organizations with staff on the ground, like Oxfam and Human Rights Watch. The fighting has displaced about a fourth of Gaza’s population. Nearly 60,000 people have lost their homes, and the number of people taking shelter in Unrwa schools is nearly five times as many as in 2009. The cost to Gaza’s already fragile economy will be significant: the 2009 conflict caused losses estimated at $4 billion — almost three times the size of Gaza’s annual gross domestic product.

Map View
Buildings Damaged or Destroyed Before and After Change Since Start of Conflict
Select Map View
Buildings Damaged
or Destroyed
Before and
After
Change Since
Start of Conflict
Reading the Map
Buildings marked with red circles were assessed as being destroyed or severely damaged through satellite image analyses by Unitar/Unosat. Damage was assessed across Gaza as of August 1.

The areas highlighted in orange show the areas that changed the most drastically between satellite photographs taken on June 28 and July 30.
The areas highlighted in orange show the areas that changed the most drastically between satellite photographs taken on June 28 and July 30.
Drag the slider back and forth to view satellite imagery from June 28, before the conflict started; and July 30, after it was underway.

Sderot

1/2 MILE

BORDER

CROSSING

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Beit

Hanoun

Beit Lahiya

GAZA

Israel

Jabaliya

Gaza

City

POSSIBLE

VEHICLE

TRACKS

Shejaiya

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Extent Of

Damage analysis

through August 1

Be’eri

Juhor

ad Dik

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Al Mughaqa

SMOKE

PLUME

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Israel

GAZA

Deir al Balah

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Wadi as Salqa

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Al Qarara

SMOKE

PLUME

‘Abasan al Jadida

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Bani Suheila

‘Abasan

al Kabira

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Qizan an Najjar

GAZA

Israel

Al Mawasi

Tal as Sultan

Al Bayuk

Rafah

EGYPT

BORDER

CROSSING

Sderot

1/2 MILE

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Beit

Hanoun

Beit Lahiya

Israel

GAZA

Jabaliya

POSSIBLE

VEHICLE

TRACKS

Gaza

City

Shejaiya

Nahal Oz

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Damage analysis

through August 1

Be’eri

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

SMOKE

PLUME

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Israel

GAZA

Deir al Balah

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Al Qarara

SMOKE

PLUME

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Israel

GAZA

Tal as Sultan

Rafah

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

EGYPT

Sderot

1/2 MILE

Beit

Hanoun

Beit Lahiya

GAZA

Israel

Jabaliya

Gaza

City

Shejaiya

Be’eri

Juhor

ad Dik

Al Mughaqa

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

Deir al Balah

Wadi as Salqa

Al Qarara

‘Abasan al Jadida

Bani Suheila

‘Abasan

al Kabira

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

Qizan an Najjar

Al Mawasi

Tal as Sultan

Al Bayuk

Rafah

EGYPT

Sderot

1/2 MILE

Beit

Hanoun

Israel

Beit Lahiya

GAZA

Jabaliya

Gaza

City

Shejaiya

Nahal Oz

Be’eri

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

Deir al Balah

Al Qarara

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

Tal as Sultan

Rafah

EGYPT

June 28

Sderot

1/2 MILE

Beit

Hanoun

Beit Lahiya

GAZA

Israel

Jabaliya

Gaza

City

Shejaiya

Be’eri

Juhor

ad Dik

Al Mughaqa

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

Deir al Balah

Wadi as Salqa

Al Qarara

‘Abasan al Jadida

Bani Suheila

‘Abasan

al Kabira

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

Qizan an Najjar

Al Mawasi

Tal as Sultan

Al Bayuk

Rafah

EGYPT

Sderot

1/2 MILE

Beit

Hanoun

Israel

Beit Lahiya

GAZA

Jabaliya

Gaza

City

Shejaiya

Nahal Oz

Be’eri

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

Deir al Balah

Al Qarara

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

Tal as Sultan

Rafah

EGYPT

July 30

Sderot

1/2 MILE

BORDER

CROSSING

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Beit

Hanoun

Beit Lahiya

GAZA

Israel

Jabaliya

Gaza

City

POSSIBLE

VEHICLE

TRACKS

Shejaiya

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Be’eri

Juhor

ad Dik

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Al Mughaqa

SMOKE

PLUME

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Deir al Balah

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Wadi as Salqa

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Al Qarara

SMOKE

PLUME

‘Abasan al Jadida

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Bani Suheila

‘Abasan

al Kabira

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Qizan an Najjar

Al Mawasi

Tal as Sultan

Al Bayuk

Rafah

EGYPT

BORDER

CROSSING

Sderot

1/2 MILE

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Beit

Hanoun

Israel

Beit Lahiya

GAZA

Jabaliya

POSSIBLE

VEHICLE

TRACKS

Gaza

City

Shejaiya

Nahal Oz

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Be’eri

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

SMOKE

PLUME

Al Nusseirat

Camp

An Bureij

Camp

AGRICULTURAL

AREA

Deir al Balah

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Al Qarara

SMOKE

PLUME

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Khuza’a

Khan Younis

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

Tal as Sultan

Rafah

POSSIBLE

TRACKS

EGYPT

Notes: The areas of change, shown in orange on the large map, were calculated by comparing Landsat 8 images taken June 28 and July 30.

Sources: Imagery analyses by Sean O’Connor, an analyst for IHS Jane’s, and Niko Milonopoulos, an analyst for Solarium Analytics; building damage assessments by Unitar/Unosat; United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; United Nations Relief and Works Agency; Israel Defense Forces

By JEREMY ASHKENAS, ARCHIE TSE, TIM WALLACE, DEREK WATKINS and KAREN YOURISH

Correction: Aug. 4, 2014

A previous version of this interactive map contained outdated information about the fate of Second Lt. Hadar Goldin. He was killed in an ambush near Rafah, not captured.