Exactly two years after Hamas launched its devastating assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, the humanitarian and infrastructural toll on Gaza remains catastrophic. The initial attack killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, sparking Israel's retaliatory Operation Swords of Iron, which flattened Gaza’s urban landscape. Today, over 92% of Gaza’s buildings lie in ruins, generating more than 50 million tonnes of rubble—an amount the UN estimates will take over 22 years to clear. What was once a densely populated area with schools, markets, hotels, and even zoos has largely been reduced to debris and craters.
The October 7 attack coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, and the eve of Yom Kippur, a day of solemn reflection, echoing the timing of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Hamas fighters breached the Gaza-Israel border at over 100 points, using motorcycles, bulldozers, and paragliders to infiltrate civilian communities and military installations. Notable targets included the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, where over 360 people were killed and dozens kidnapped. Survivor testimonies describe house-to-house killings, arson, and sexual violence, marking the deadliest day for Israelis since the Holocaust.
Israel’s response involved sustained aerial bombardments, ground invasions, and urban combat, destroying over 190,000 buildings by the end of October 2023 alone. Combined with continued operations through 2024 and 2025, the destruction left over 62,000 Palestinians dead, with thousands more missing. Evacuations displaced nearly 1.9 million residents, forcing 90% of Gaza’s population into shrinking “safe zones,” many of which were repeatedly targeted. Over 50 million tonnes of rubble now litter the 365-square-kilometre territory, equivalent to 17 times the debris from Dresden in World War II, and containing unexploded ordnance and hazardous materials.
Two years on, Gaza faces a multi-layered humanitarian crisis. Hospitals operate at just 20% capacity, relying on makeshift clinics, while infectious diseases have resurged amid collapsed sanitation. Food insecurity affects 96% of households, and famine is acute in northern Gaza due to blocked aid and ruined farmland. The agricultural sector has been decimated, with irrigation systems destroyed and soil contamination rampant. Over 700,000 refugees strain neighbouring countries, while gender-based violence rises in overcrowded shelters.
Efforts to broker peace have produced limited respite. Temporary ceasefires and hostage exchanges, including a 2024 deal freeing 105 captives, have not halted sporadic Israeli strikes or ongoing violence. The US has put forward a 20-point Gaza peace plan, spearheaded by Donald Trump, which calls for an immediate ceasefire, full hostage release, and a $100 billion reconstruction fund. The plan envisions demilitarisation, deployment of international peacekeepers, and governance involvement by the Palestinian Authority, though Hamas has yet to accept the terms.
Analysts note that while Hamas has been militarily weakened—losing roughly 50% of fighters and tunnels—the group continues recruiting and adapting tactics. Israel faces its own war fatigue and domestic pressure, while deep-rooted issues, including West Bank settlements and Jerusalem’s contested status, threaten the long-term durability of any agreement. Past truces have collapsed quickly, leaving observers sceptical about the sustainability of current efforts. The Gaza crisis remains unresolved, with millions of civilians enduring displacement, famine, and shattered infrastructure, and the path to peace still fraught with uncertainty.
