Israel’s Gaza Campaign: Three Years of Casualties and Destruction

Israel’s Gaza Campaign: Three Years of Casualties and Destruction

Three years have passed since Israel launched a sustained assault on Gaza, beginning on 7 October 2023 after Hamas and other Palestinian groups attacked southern Israel. The Israeli response has involved relentless bombardment and a tightening of a 16-year blockade.

Human Toll

Al Jazeera reports that at least 74,000 Palestinians, including 21,000 children, have been killed. The Palestinian Ministry of Health records only hospital deaths, so the true toll may be higher. More than 175,000 people have been injured, and a conservative WHO estimate suggests that roughly 24 percent of those injured have life-changing injuries, a quarter of whom are children.

Healthcare Collapse

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that 94 percent of Gaza’s 666 hospitals and clinics are fully or partially out of service. Only 42 facilities remain functional. Under international humanitarian law, hospitals are protected, and intentional attacks on them constitute war crimes.

Infrastructure and Housing

Israel has targeted Gaza’s water infrastructure, damaging wells, pipelines, desalination plants and sewage systems. Nearly half of Gaza’s population now survives on less than six litres of water a day, far below the emergency minimum of 20 litres. The destruction of homes is extensive: 82 percent of all structures have been destroyed, leaving 1.98 million Palestinians displaced, about 90 percent of the population.

Education and Media

OCHA reports that 93 percent of schools require rebuilding, leaving more than 700,000 students without formal education. At least 63 university buildings have been destroyed. Nearly 300 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since 7 October, including 12 Al Jazeera staff members. Israel has barred foreign media from Gaza, except for a few reporters embedded with its soldiers under strict censorship.

Ceasefire Status

A ceasefire took effect on 10 October 2025, but Al Jazeera analysis shows Israel has attacked Gaza on 325 of the past 361 days, with only 36 days reporting no attacks, deaths or injuries. Since the ceasefire, at least 1,460 Palestinians have been killed and 5,116 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The United States maintains that the ceasefire is still holding, despite ongoing attacks.