An updated version of Google Maps containing satellite photographs taken in June has documented the widespread destruction throughout Gaza following the three-year conflict. The imagery reveals the scale of damage to residential areas, commercial establishments, religious institutions, and essential infrastructure across the territory, which is home to approximately 2.3 million people.
The photographs show numerous tent encampments distributed along the coastline, frequently positioned just meters from the shoreline. Gaza’s primary port, which sustained substantial damage during the conflict, now sits unused and is surrounded by improvised shelters. Within Gaza City, any available open ground contains temporary housing structures including tents, shacks, and simple huts. Northern communities including Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun display significant destruction, as do several religious sites such as the Istiqlal mosque in Khan Younis. Key urban neighborhoods in Gaza City, particularly those repeatedly subjected to military operations, are no longer suitable for habitation.
Satellite imagery indicates considerable debris coverage in southern Gaza, where a substantial corridor appears to have been cleared along the Egyptian border. The town of Rafah has been largely reduced to rubble, and the Tel al-Sultan area has been completely leveled. According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, more than 2.1 million individuals are currently residing in tents and temporary structures, with approximately 82 percent of buildings—roughly 200,000 structures—damaged overall. Of these damaged buildings, approximately two-thirds have been fully destroyed.
A UN assessment determined that destruction levels increased by 9 percent following the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. Officials estimate approximately 61 million tonnes of debris currently covers Gaza—a quantity equivalent to roughly 20 times the rubble produced by all global conflicts over the preceding 18 years. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with human remains still trapped beneath debris constituting one of the most pressing concerns. The conflict has resulted in more than 74,000 Palestinian deaths, predominantly civilians. The war was initiated by a Hamas offensive in October 2023 that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
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