After 3 Years of Genocide.. What Has Gaza Lost?

Gaza - Afaq News - After 3 years of the Israeli genocide, the Gaza Strip faces losses that have reshaped its life and urban map, after losing more than 74,000 of its children, and with hundreds of thousands of homes damaged, in addition to the widespread destruction that affected health, education, and water facilities.

The impact of these losses was not limited to what was directly destroyed by the attacks, but extended to the ability of the population to restore their lives, amid Israeli restrictions on the entry of materials and equipment that contribute to recovery and reconstruction.

Palestinian and international statistics reveal the dimensions of these losses, as the toll of victims continues to rise due to the ongoing Israeli aggression, while the assessment of material damages relies on field evaluations, international assessments, and satellite images.

In a report published on October 5, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, citing the latest assessment prepared by the United Nations Satellite Center, stated that the number of buildings damaged as a result of the Israeli genocide until June 16 reached about 82 percent of the total buildings in the sector.

Human losses

As of October 5, 2026, the death toll has reached 74,243 Palestinians, and the number of injured is 175,232, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip.

The toll continues to be updated with new victims being recorded due to the ongoing Israeli aggression, and the completion of data for previous martyrs. On October 3, the ministry announced the addition of 181 martyrs to the cumulative statistics after their data was verified.

Martyrs and injuries continue to occur despite the ceasefire agreement that has been in effect since October 10, 2025. The ministry recorded, from that date until October 5, 1,460 martyrs and 5,116 injured, in addition to the retrieval of the bodies of 836 individuals.

Children have been among the most affected groups, as reported by the Government Media Office in Gaza, indicating that 21,500 children have been martyred since the beginning of the genocide until July 2026.

Among the total child martyrs, more than 520 infants were born during the Israeli genocide and were killed in it.

In April of last year, the United Nations stated that its Office of Human Rights estimates that nearly 70 percent of those who were martyred in Gaza until March 2025 were women and children.

Material losses

Regarding material losses, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics stated in the same report that the number of buildings damaged as a result of the Israeli aggression on the sector until June 16 reached approximately 201,290 buildings, of which 134,422 buildings were completely destroyed, and 13,848 buildings were severely damaged.

The bureau reported that the number of housing units affected in the sector reached 328,627.

In April of last year, the United Nations reported that "almost complete destruction" had occurred to the essential infrastructure that civilians in Gaza rely on for survival.

Regarding the health sector, the World Health Organization stated on April 24 that more than 1,800 health facilities, including major hospitals as well as primary care centers, clinics, pharmacies, and laboratories, have suffered partial damage or been completely destroyed since October 2023.

Concerning schools, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported in a report published in May, covering the period up to April, that 98 percent of schools in the sector have been affected since the onset of the war.

It added that more than 93 percent of them need comprehensive repairs or complete reconstruction, and that 81 percent of them have been directly hit.

As for the economic sector, data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), released on September 24, indicated that the war has caused damage or destroyed 92 percent of economic facilities in Gaza, leading to a "nearly complete halt of productive activity in all sectors."

The ability to restore life has declined.

In this context, local and international reports have indicated that Palestinians have lost their ability to restore life amid ongoing displacement and difficulty accessing various services, with UN estimates showing a decline in human development equivalent to 77 years.

Displacement has been the most prominent manifestation of the changes that have occurred in the lives of Palestinians due to the genocide, as data from the government media office reported last August that about 2.15 million Palestinian displaced persons out of 2.4 million inhabitants are living in "severe humanitarian conditions," including 800,000 who are residing in tents unfit for "human life."

In September, the government office data clarified that 60 percent of the displaced persons' tents are dilapidated and need immediate replacement, amounting to 162,000 tents out of 270,000.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed on October 5 that about 279,000 people are seeking refuge in 400 displacement sites at risk of flooding during the winter, representing 13 percent of the total population of the sector.

It was noted that more than 2,300 people are living in unsafe buildings that require demolition.

In its statement about children, UNICEF said last September that nearly one million children in the Gaza Strip need psychological and social support.

According to psychological specialists, the psychological trauma that children are exposed to affects their ability to adapt to their surrounding conditions, and may reflect on their behavior, focus, and academic achievement.

The OCHA office also pointed out, on September 25, that around 200,000 children remained out of school despite the start of the new school year on the 19th of the same month.

Cost of Recovery

According to international estimates, the cost of recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip is estimated at around 71.4 billion US dollars.

A final assessment report on the damages in Gaza, its economic losses, and its recovery and reconstruction needs, conducted by the European Union and the United Nations in collaboration with the World Bank, stated last April that the total amount includes about $26.3 billion required "during the first 18 months to restore essential services, rebuild vital infrastructure, and support economic recovery."

The report estimated the material damages to the infrastructure in the sector at about $35.2 billion, and the economic and social losses at approximately $22.7 billion.

On October 8, 2023, Israel began a genocide against the Gaza Strip, with American support, which continued in various forms following the implementation of the ceasefire agreement on October 10, 2025.