Israel Destroys 70% of Gaza Strip... "30,000 Bombs Dropped in Two Months"

"It Will Take Decades to Rebuild Gaza Strip"

As Israel continues its attacks on the Gaza Strip to annihilate the Palestinian armed group Hamas, it has been reported that over 70% of the area's homes, medical facilities, and public institutions have been destroyed.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 30th (local time), since the war began with Hamas's surprise attack on October 7, Israel has damaged or destroyed 70% of the 439,000 homes and more than half of the buildings in the Gaza Strip through airstrikes.

The U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has identified that the Israeli military dropped a total of 29,000 bombs and ammunition on the Gaza Strip from the start of the war until mid-month. This amount is eight times the 3,678 bombs dropped by the U.S. military in Iraq between 2004 and 2010.

The ammunition provided by the U.S. to Israel after the war included 2,000-pound (approximately 907 kg) "bunker-buster" bombs. These munitions are typically used in operations in areas with low population density due to concerns over indiscriminate harm to civilians. However, Israel dropped these bombs in the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. The Gaza Strip is similar in area to Sejong City but has a population exceeding 2 million, more than five times that of Sejong City.

Israel's bombings have destroyed the overall infrastructure of the Gaza Strip. Thirty-six hospitals have closed, and churches, ancient mosques, hotels, and shopping malls have also collapsed.

The World Bank (WB) estimated as of the 12th that 72% of public facilities such as parks, courts, and libraries were damaged. It was found that 77% of medical facilities, 68% of communication infrastructure, and 76% of commercial districts were damaged, with more than half of the roads destroyed. Additionally, 342 schools, including 70 operated by the United Nations, were also affected.

According to analyses by experts from the City University of New York and Oregon State University, 80% of buildings in the northern Gaza Strip were damaged or destroyed.

Experts compare the level of damage in the Gaza Strip to that of Dresden, Germany, which was bombed during World War II. In February 1945, Dresden, under Nazi control, was bombed by Allied forces, destroying over 80% of the city and killing 25,000 people.

Post-war reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip are also expected to be arduous. The relief organization "Shelter Cluster" projected that clearing debris alone will take at least one year, and rebuilding homes will take 7 to 10 years. If the procurement of construction materials is delayed, the reconstruction period will be even longer. Previously, Israel frequently blocked the entry of construction materials into the Gaza Strip after the 2014 war with Hamas, citing concerns that Hamas might misuse them. As a result, WSJ reported that only one house was built in the Gaza Strip the year after the ceasefire.

Caroline Sander, a post-war redevelopment expert at Kingston University in the UK, said regarding the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, "The best-case scenario is that it will take decades."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.