Over the past 100 days, Israel’s relentless bombardment and ground assault of Gaza has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians – roughly one percent of the besieged strip’s population of 2.3 million.
The brutal assaults have uprooted almost the entire population, with most people now squeezed into the territory’s far south, while a lack of basic necessities including food is pushing the enclave to the brink of famine.
In the north, which was Israel’s first target, mountains of rubble fill the landscape. Much of Gaza City and surrounding districts have been flattened. Many residents who fled fear they will never be allowed to return, or if they are, their neighbourhoods will be uninhabitable.
In parts of southern Gaza, where Israel advised people to evacuate, rescuers dig through smouldering piles of concrete, stone and dust, looking for survivors of non-stop air strikes and shelling.
At least 60,000 people have been injured in Gaza, including at least 8,663 children and 6,327 women, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the Palestine Red Crescent Society and Save the Children.
Tent camps have sprawled over any empty piece of land. Hungry Palestinians line up at distribution sites for food, under Israel’s siege of the territory. Nine out of 10 people are going for 24 hours or more without food, according to data released by the World Food Programme.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the International Court of Justice, which has begun hearing a genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa, cannot end the war in Gaza. South Africa is seeking a court intervention to halt the war.
Israel says it wants to eradicate Hamas fighters, who carried out a deadly attack on October 7 in which about 1,100 people were killed in Israel.