Updated satellite imagery from Google Maps and Google Earth, including images taken in June 2026, has revealed the scale of destruction across the besieged Gaza Strip nearly three years into Israel’s military campaign. The imagery shows vast swathes of Gaza completely destroyed, with entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble and streets that were once densely populated now barely recognisable. In many areas, homes, businesses, and community buildings have been replaced by barren stretches of debris, making it almost impossible to tell one part of Gaza from another.
The devastation is reflected in the casualty figures. Gaza’s health ministry reported over the weekend that 74,016 Palestinians have been killed, with another 175,068 wounded. The health ministry maintains detailed records that are viewed as generally reliable by international organisations and UN agencies; while these records do not distinguish between militants and civilians, the ministry states that women and children make up around half the toll.
UNOSAT Assessments and Structural Damage
Official assessments by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) provide specific figures on the scale of the ruins. According to UNRWA, roughly 200,000 buildings in Gaza have been damaged, which represents about 82 percent of the total number of structures. Of these, about two-thirds have been destroyed.
The destruction has continued even after diplomatic shifts. A recent UNOSAT assessment found that the number of destroyed structures increased by 9 percent since a ceasefire took effect nearly a year ago. This ceasefire entered into force in October 2025.
Earlier UNOSAT data from October 2025 identified damaged structures in the Khan Younis governorate and Gaza governorate.
Regional Devastation: Rafah, Khan Younis, and Northern Gaza
The most significant changes are visible in the south of the sector, specifically in Rafah and Khan Younis. In Rafah, images show that a significant portion of the southern city has been devastated. An analysis by Al Jazeera of these images indicates that the Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood was almost entirely wiped out. Other areas also appear heavily damaged.
In the north, imagery shows massive damage to towns such as Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun. Across the territory, centuries-old places of worship have been damaged or wiped out, and farmland has been charred.
Humanitarian Conditions and Infrastructure
The updated imagery highlights the severity of the humanitarian crisis facing Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants. In Gaza City, any available open space is packed with huts, tents, and shacks. Along much of the shoreline, huge tented camps are visible, often located within a few metres of the sea. This is particularly evident in al-Mawasi and Rafah.
Gaza’s main port, once busy, is now badly damaged and empty of fishing boats, surrounded by makeshift accommodation.
Social media users have also drawn attention to satellite views of Al-Shifa Hospital and the vast stretches of makeshift shelters that now dominate the area.
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