A CEASEFIRE came into place on Sunday in Gaza, after weeks of negotiations in Qatar and more than 460 days of bombardment by Israel..
The deal includes a full but temporary ceasefire, Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the release of hostages by Hamas and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The third phase of the deal will look at a three to five-year reconstruction plan of the Gaza Strip to be conducted under international supervision.
So, until then, what are Palestinians coming back to in Gaza and how many have been killed?
What is left of Gaza’s population?
Since October 7, 2023, more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.
This works out to an average of 100 Palestinians killed every day over the past 470 days.
The estimated population of Gaza, 2.3 million people, has reduced by an estimated 6%.
Another 11,160 people are missing, meaning one in every 200 Palestinians in Gaza are unaccounted for. Some 100,000 Palestinians have left Gaza.
What will the displaced return to?
According to analysis by US-based researchers Jamon Van Den Hoek and Corey Scher, at least 60% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed.
Some experts estimate that it will take at least a decade to remove the 42 million tonnes of rubble in Gaza.
For many, neighbourhoods have been completely destroyed, including sanitation, road and electricity systems.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as of January 14, half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functioning, 88% of schools have been damaged or destroyed, 92% of homes have been damaged or destroyed, and 68% of agricultural land has been destroyed as well as 68% of all roads.
What’s left of Gaza’s schools?
By August 2024, more than 625,000 school-age children in Gaza went a full year without formal education.
Many schools that remain standing are being used as makeshift shelters for displaced families, further crippling their ability to function as educational institutions.
Some 88% of schools, or 496 out of 564, have been damaged or destroyed. According to OCHA, at least 503 educational staff have been killed and all university buildings in Gaza have been destroyed.
With no infrastructure, staffing, or supplies, Gaza’s education system has effectively collapsed, raising the question of how it will be rebuilt and function again.
What’s left of Gaza’s homes?
Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, leaving millions of people reliant on humanitarian aid for shelter and survival.
Mass displacement of around 90% of the population raises urgent questions about the future of Gazans returning to their lives.
Some 92% (436,000) of housing units are destroyed or damaged.
What’s left of Gaza’s hospitals?
In January, Gaza health officials said Al-Aqsa, Nasser and the European hospitals are at risk of imminent closure, after repeated Israeli bombardment and the blockade of supplies.
Only half of them are even partially functional, including only one in the whole of North Gaza.
Hospitals will need to be rebuilt entirely, while securing essential medical supplies and specialised equipment – something Israel cut off during the war.
What’s left of Gaza’s agriculture?
It is estimated that 68% of all agricultural land is now destroyed.
Satellite imagery has captured a significant reduction of cropland, with North Gaza suffering the highest proportion of damage per governate. More than three-quarters of agricultural land has been destroyed in this area.
Much of the region’s livestock has been killed and irrigation systems and other farming equipment have been destroyed. Soil will also need to be cleared of rubble and unexploded ordnance first and then treated for decontamination before farming resumes.
