In its unprecedented war on the Gaza Strip, Israel relied on systematic destruction that affected all aspects of life, including neighborhoods, residential areas, schools, hospitals, banks, markets, bakeries, and others.
The World Bank estimates that approximately 45% of residential buildings in the Gaza Strip were completely destroyed, meaning that nearly a million people completely lost their homes in the Strip.
The Al-Zahraa neighborhood south of Gaza City – which is known for its tall towers and is designated for middle-class employees – was also subjected to massive destruction. According to the World Bank, 34,000 homes were completely destroyed out of 55,000, with a destruction rate of approximately 60%.
The Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” had revealed that the soldiers were “destroying some buildings in Gaza by setting them on fire based on direct orders from their commanders,” while the British newspaper “The Guardian” accused the occupation forces of “arming the buildings and facilities in the Gaza Strip,” that is, of dealing with them on the basis of It is an armed entity.
The Guardian quotes experts as saying that Israel is systematically destroying the Palestinians’ cultural heritage sites and their daily urban fabric, as the destruction of buildings in the Gaza Strip is not limited to depriving residents of their homes, students of their right to education, or patients of their right to hospitalization.
Destroying buildings is a form of killing communities and their collective memory, according to the United Nations Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing.
