650 days of Israeli war: 125,000 tons of bombs; 2,613 families effaced
5 Min Read
From mass graves to starvation deaths, Gaza’s civilian population endures relentless suffering as "Israel’s" genocide decimate health systems, shelters, and entire communities.
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Smoke from Israeli airstrikes on the northern Gaza Strip, on Friday, July 18, 2025 (AP)
More than 88% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed and nearly 2 million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced since October 7, 2023, a devastating report released Friday by the Government Media Office in Gaza showed.
Marking the 650th day of "Israel’s" aggression on the strip, the report estimates that approximately 125,000 tons of explosives have been dropped on the besieged enclave, causing over $62 billion in physical and infrastructural damage.
The report describes the ongoing offensive as a “genocidal” war, highlighting what it calls the “forced evacuation of 2 million civilians” and the occupation of 77% of Gaza’s land, which spans 360 square kilometers.
Soaring death toll, victims unaccounted for
According to the Media Office, 67,880 Palestinians have either been killed or remain missing. This figure includes over 19,000 children and 12,500 women, among them 8,150 mothers and 953 infants.
The official death toll provided by the Gaza Health Ministry stands at 58,667, a number that only reflects bodies brought to hospitals. The discrepancy arises from thousands still buried beneath rubble or unaccounted for, the Media Office explained.
An estimated 9,500 people remain trapped under collapsed buildings, with their fates still unknown.
Among those confirmed killed in the ongoing aggression are 1,590 medical personnel, 228 journalists, and 777 humanitarian aid workers, according to the Gaza Media Office. In a particularly grim revelation, the report also stated that 2,613 Palestinian families have been completely erased from civil records, indicating that no surviving members remain.
Catastrophic circumstances
The humanitarian toll has been catastrophic. At least 68 children have died from malnutrition, and another 17 have succumbed to cold exposure in overcrowded and under-resourced displacement camps. The total number of injured has reached 139,000, including more than 4,700 people who have undergone amputations. The psychological impact is no less severe, with 44,500 children having lost at least one parent.
Compounding the humanitarian crisis, the report notes that over 2 million forcibly displaced people are now suffering from various infectious diseases, with 71,000 cases of hepatitis documented. The Media Office also accused Israeli forces of violating the sanctity of the dead, accusing them of stealing 2,420 bodies from cemeteries and establishing seven mass graves inside hospitals, an act it described as deeply disturbing and inhumane.
Detentions, abductions
In terms of detentions, the report stated that 6,633 Palestinians have been abducted since the beginning of the war, including 362 health workers, 48 journalists, and 26 members of civil defense teams. These waves of mass arrests, coupled with the destruction of essential facilities, have further paralyzed Gaza's already collapsing civil infrastructure.
Healthcare in the time of genocide. Inside "Israel's" systematic assault on #Gaza's health workers and facilities in numbers. pic.twitter.com/m9XyG7yprT
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 7, 2025
Mass destruction
The scale of infrastructural devastation is staggering. Israeli strikes have destroyed 38 hospitals and 96 primary care centers, targeted 144 ambulances, and obliterated 156 schools, with another 382 schools suffering partial damage. Places of worship have also been attacked: 833 mosques, 3 churches, and 40 cemeteries have been damaged or destroyed.
The war has left 288,000 Palestinian families homeless, following the complete destruction of 223,000 housing units and damage to an additional 130,000 homes. Even displacement shelters have not been spared, with 261 shelter centers coming under direct fire. The Media Office paints a picture of widespread, deliberate devastation aimed at crippling every aspect of civilian life in the besieged enclave.
Systematic starvation, agricultural collapse
Describing "Israel’s" approach as a “systematic starvation campaign”, the report states that 877 Palestinians have been killed and 5,666 wounded while attempting to collect food or aid.
For over 139 consecutive days, "Israel" has obstructed the entry of tens of thousands of aid trucks, exacerbating famine conditions.
The agricultural sector has suffered $2.2 billion in losses, with 92% of Gaza’s arable land destroyed. Vital infrastructure, such as electricity, water, sanitation systems, and even archaeological heritage, has been severely damaged.
Despite mounting global condemnation, "Israel’s" assault on Gaza continues. In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Separately, "Israel" is also the subject of a genocide case currently under review by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Gaza Media Office concludes its report by describing the Strip as “a landscape of destruction, hunger, and disease," with no end in sight.
