Gaza War Third Anniversary: 80% of Buildings Destroyed, 164 Historical Sites Damaged

[Gaza City] According to Al Jazeera, over the three years since Israel launched its military operation against besieged Gaza in October 2023, more than 80% of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. The figure, released by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, reveals the systematic impact of the war on the living environment of the besieged population—entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble, and large amounts of infrastructure erased.

UNESCO has verified damage to 164 cultural sites since October 2023, including 128 buildings of historical or artistic value, 14 religious sites, 9 monuments, 8 archaeological sites, 2 museums, and 3 repositories of movable cultural heritage.

The list of damaged sites includes some of Gaza's most recognizable historical landmarks: the Great Omari Mosque—the oldest mosque in Gaza; Qasr al-Basha; the ancient Samaritan bathhouse; the centuries-old covered bazaar Al-Qissaria Market; and the Saint Porphyrius Church complex. Before-and-after image comparisons released by Al Jazeera show that some of these sites have been reduced to ruins, while others retain their main structures but have suffered severe damage.

The impact of the destruction extends beyond individual buildings. Al Jazeera notes that streets and neighborhoods have also been transformed, with the visual anchors that once helped residents identify and navigate the city disappearing. Before the war, Gaza's markets, schools, hospitals and public spaces were the everyday places where generations worked, studied, shopped, and gathered with family and friends; after three years of bombardment, these familiar places have been altered beyond recognition.

The before-and-after image comparisons published by Al Jazeera—showing markets, mosque forecourts, and church facades alongside rubble and empty lots—freeze this transformation into a visual record that can be reviewed repeatedly.