On October 7, 2023, "Israel" launched a genocidal campaign in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians each day. A week later, ground incursions into the territory commenced, setting the stage for a prolonged 15-month occupation. This marks the longest Israeli military offense since the 1948 occupation.

A global movement for Gaza mobilized since the early days of the genocide, prompting unprecedented criticism and counter-actions to "Israel's" onslaught, from protests, intense boycotting movements, ruptured diplomatic and economic relations with the Israeli occupation, and prominent court rulings against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Consequently, following 15 months of efforts and negotiations, a ceasefire agreement was announced on January 15. 

In light of the events, The Guardian provided an outline of the war's impact on Gaza and its people.

Astronomical death toll 

Since October 7, 2023, "Israel" killed nearly 47,000 Palestinians, most of whom are civilians, overwhelmingly women and children, while more than 110,000 others have been injured. According to The Guardian's figures, the death toll makes up around 2% of Gaza's pre-war population.

The victims of Israeli brutality included women, children, and the elderly alike, with the youngest victims being infants only a few hours old, and the oldest being a 101-year-old great-great-grandfather. 

The Guardian, much like in other publications, speculates a severe underestimation of the actual death toll in Gaza. A study released by the Lancet suggests that the official Palestinian count of deaths in the Israeli war on Gaza may have missed as many as 41% of casualties through mid-2024 due to the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system.

The researchers employed a statistical technique known as capture-recapture analysis to estimate the death toll from the Israeli air and ground assault against Gaza during the first nine months of the war, spanning from October 2023 to the end of June 2024.
 
The researchers estimated that 64,260 people died from traumatic injuries during this period, which is approximately 41% higher than the official count from the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.

Domicide in Gaza

"Israel's" war also drew accusations of domicide, which is by definition “the planned, deliberate destruction of someone's home, causing suffering to the dweller."

According to UN statistics, every nine in ten houses were destroyed or damaged in Gaza, while civilian infrastructure, including schools, mosques, churches, and hospitals has been repeatedly struck and bombarded by the Israeli occupation forces. 

So-called evacuation orders have affected 80% of Gaza's territory, displacing 1.9 million people—90% of the population—with many forced to relocate multiple times. Hundreds of thousands now reside in overcrowded shelters and tent cities, suffering from poor sanitation and limited access to clean water, with some shelters also coming under attack.

Destruction of schools 

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Nearly all school buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, leaving 660,000 school-age children without formal education for over a year. A study by Cambridge academics and the UN warns the war could set education back by up to five years and risks creating a lost generation of traumatized youth.

As of October 7, 2023, of Gaza's 564 school buildings, 534 have been damaged or destroyed, and 12 are reported as "possibly damaged." The condition of the remaining 18 schools is currently unknown, according to UNICEF.

Schools operated by UNRWA have been converted into emergency shelters for displaced people. Despite being clearly marked on maps, many of these shelters have been bombed, some repeatedly, under claims of Hamas operatives being present on their premises, an allegation that has been debunked multiple times. 

Attacks on hospitals 

Throughout the war, Israeli occupation forces repeatedly bombed and attacked hospitals in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 1,050 healthcare workers, including medics and doctors, many of whom were killed while on duty. Medics were also subjected to detention and torture, with at least three reported deaths while in Israeli custody.

By the end of 2024, only 17 of Gaza's 36 hospitals were partially operational, with 11 field hospitals struggling due to restricted aid and medical supplies. 

The World Health Organization documented 654 attacks on health facilities, and a UN commission deemed "Israel's" actions as deliberate war crimes aimed at destroying Gaza's healthcare system. This destruction worsened the suffering of those injured, displaced, or affected by diseases like respiratory infections (1.2 million cases) and acute diarrhea (570,000 cases), exacerbated by poor shelter, food, and water access.

In December, almost all hospitals in northern Gaza have been forced out of service, particularly Kamal Adwan Hospital. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the closure of the hospital is part of an Israeli strategy "aimed at completely evacuating the northern Gaza Strip of civilians."

Malnutrition and starvation 

Despite the dire need for humanitarian aid, "Israel" significantly prevented relief efforts and deliveries into the Gaza Strip, manifesting astronomical rates of starvation and malnutrition. 

In January 2024, UN human rights experts warned that out of 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza, every single one of them is grappling with hunger and food insecurity. 

Later in September, UNICEF’s Director of Child Nutrition and Development, Victor Aguayo, stated “We estimate that well over 50,000 children suffer from acute malnutrition and need lifesaving treatment, now.”

His comments follow warnings from the UN’s food agencies, FAO and WFP, which have described the situation in Gaza as “one of the most severe food and nutrition crises in history.”

Malnutrition during pregnancy and childhood impairs mental and physical development, leaving many children who survived the war with lifelong consequences from food shortages, The Guardian said. 

Ecocide rates in Gaza

Gaza has lost at least half its tree cover, with extensive contamination of soil and water and significant damage to agricultural land.

This destruction, largely attributed to Israeli attacks on farms and infrastructure, will have lasting effects on ecosystems, biodiversity, food security, and public health, according to ecologists and academics.

By March 2024, an investigation by Forensic Architecture found that around 40% of Gaza's food-producing land had been destroyed. Satellite imagery reviewed by The Guardian shows widespread devastation to farms and nearly half of the area's trees eliminated.

Before October 7, farms and orchards encompassed approximately 170 square kilometers (65 square miles), representing 47% of Gaza's total land area. By the end of February, FA estimates based on satellite data indicated that Israeli military operations had destroyed over 65 square kilometers, equivalent to 38% of that land.

In addition to cultivated areas, Gaza's agricultural infrastructure included more than 7,500 greenhouses, which played a crucial role in the region's economy. That mentioned, FA's analysis suggested that nearly a third of these greenhouses have been destroyed, with destruction ranging from up to 90% in northern Gaza to approximately 40% around Khan Younis.

Read more: Between geocide and genocide, 'Israel' rendering Gaza uninhabitable