Overview

• Thousands who headed back to the north found homes obliterated, with some families sheltering in damaged rooms or under rubble after promised tents and supplies failed to arrive.
• The UN Satellite Centre estimates roughly 66% of Gaza’s buildings are damaged or destroyed, totaling about 163,778 structures, with Gaza City among the hardest hit.
• UN officials warn of tens of millions of tonnes of debris contaminated by unexploded ordnance and asbestos, with thousands of unrecovered bodies believed to be buried beneath.
• Basic services remain crippled as the power grid has been down since 2023, clean water is scarce, and food stocks are thin despite UN statements of gradual improvements in aid deliveries.
• Security and governance are volatile with Hamas reasserting authority in some areas and the Israeli military holding new lines, as Gaza Civil Defense reports at least nine people killed when troops fired on a vehicle said to have crossed the boundary.