Before-and-after pictures show scale of devastation in Gaza
One year on since Israel's assault on Gaza began, a series of harrowing images show just how much the Palestinian territory has changed.
Israel has been bombarding the Gaza Strip for one year, following the 7 October attacks by Hamas, with no clear sign of an end to the conflict.
While the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres expressed his "utter condemnation" of the attack on Israel on its one-year anniversary, he also spoke out about the "wave of bloodshed" that has followed in Gaza, and later Lebanon.
Israel has said it is trying to destroy Hamas' capabilities to prevent a repeat of 7 October, which saw around 1,200 people killed and more than 250 kidnapped and taken to Gaza as hostages. Around 100 of those hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, and just half of them are believed to be alive.
Israel argues Hamas embeds itself among civilian areas, putting their lives at risk. In response, numerous NGOs, charities and international leaders have called for a ceasefire and have said Israel has not done enough to limit civilian deaths, with the grim toll currently standing at 42,000 people - around 16,000 of whom are children.
Here, Yahoo News has compiled a set of interactive pictures showing just how much Gaza has changed in the last year. Click on the circle in the middle of the images to reveal what the buildings looked like before and after the war.
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Shown above is the Al-Kenz Mosque, standing in December 2020 and reduced to rubble in September 2024.
The Grand Khan Yunis Mosque, intact in April 2020 and destroyed in September 2024. Israel’s military said it struck the mosque to destroy Hamas infrastructure inside it, the New York Times reported, but this could not be verified.
Shown above is the Al-Shati Health Centre, in January 2023 and in September of this year. Al-Shati, in the northern Gaza Strip, is home to a refugee camp which has been hit by airstrikes.
Here is the Pasha Palace, dating back to the Mamluks (1260-1517) in Gaza City, shown standing in October 2022 and in ruins in August 2024.
While international agencies haven't been able to assess the scale of damage to cultural heritage on the ground, in January this year, UNESCO verified damage to 22 sites in Gaza since the war began, the Museums Association reported.
Above is the Al Hassaina Mosque, shown intact in October 2022 and destroyed in September 2024 after it was bombed in November 2023.
Here is the Al Shuhada' Mosque in Gaza City, shown intact in August 2020 and lying in ruins in September 2024 following an Israeli airstrike.
15 years to rebuild Gaza
One year into the conflict, around 42,000 people have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities, while hunger stalks displacement camps where more than a million people have sought shelter.
Israeli officials have cast doubt on the figures because of Hamas' control over government, but at other times, Israel's military has credited the toll as being broadly reliable.
Just over half of those killed have been women and children, according to local health officials. In January, the United Nations reported that more than half of Gaza's buildings (between 50% and 61%) had been damaged or destroyed.
With no end of the war in sight, it is impossible to tell when, or how, Gaza will be rebuilt, with an assessment by the UN Environment Programme warning that removing 40 million tonnes of rubble could take 15 years and cost between $500-600m (£382-£458m).
The United Nations Development Programme has estimated that it would cost $30-40bn (£22.9-30.5bn) to rebuild the Gaza Strip, which would require an effort at a scale not seen since the Second World War.
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