UN says nearly one-fifth of Gaza's buildings ruined or damaged

Nearly 40,000 buildings or about 18 per cent of all pre-conflict structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began on October 7.

The latest estimate, based on a November 26 image, was produced by the United Nations Satellite Centre, where analysts examine very high-resolution satellite images to find damaged buildings and publish maps that can guide relief work and rebuilding plans during natural disasters and conflicts, Reuters informs, citing the latest UN assessment.

Estimates such as this based on high-resolution satellite images might still underestimate the scale of destruction since they do not show all building damage - for example, a collapsed building with an intact roof can look undamaged.

"There has been a 49 per cent increase in the total number of damaged structures, highlighting the escalating impact of the conflict on civilian infrastructures," United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) said in a statement.

The assessment showed the worst affected areas were the two northern governorates of Gaza and North Gaza, which collectively accounted for 29,732 buildings of the 37,379 damaged or destroyed, or about 80 per cent of the total.

An earlier UN assessment released on November 7 said that 25,050 buildings had been damaged or destroyed or about 10 per cent of the total structures in Gaza.

UNOSAT did not estimate damage by type of building. Some figures from Gazan authorities earlier in the conflict indicated widespread damage to housing. One estimate quoted in a UN report on October 21 estimated that at least 42 per cent of all housing units had been destroyed or damaged.

Israeli forces unleashed an aerial and ground blitz against Hamas in Gaza after deadly cross-border attacks by the enclave's ruling Islamist group on October 7. Around 1.9 million people, or about 85 per cent of the population, have fled their homes as a result.