Assessing the Damage and Destruction in Gaza

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/03/world/middleeast/assessing-the-damage-and-destruction-in-gaza.html?ref=world

The damage to Gaza’s infrastructure from the current conflict is more severe than the destruction caused by either of the last two Gaza wars, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) and other organizations with staff on the ground, like Oxfam and Human Rights Watch. The fighting has displaced about a fourth of Gaza’s population. Nearly 60,000 people have lost their homes, and the number of people taking shelter in Unrwa schools is nearly five times as many as in 2009. The cost to Gaza’s already fragile economy will be significant: the 2009 conflict caused losses estimated at $4 billion — almost three times the size of Gaza’s annual gross domestic product. AUG. 3, 2014 

Buildings marked with red circles were assessed as being destroyed or severely damaged through satellite image analyses by Unitar/Unosat. Damage was assessed in northern Gaza as of July 25; central Gaza as of July 12. Other areas have not been assessed yet. 

The areas highlighted in orange show the areas that changed the most drastically between satellite photographs taken on June 28 and July 30.

About 630 buildings, including a hospital and a mosque, have been damaged or destroyed. Israel has accused Hamas of using mosques and hospitals to hide weapons and rockets.

Shejaiya

The Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, a Hamas stronghold, has been leveled. About 600 structures were destroyed and 280 others were damaged in the first two and a half weeks of the conflict.

Power Plant

Gaza's only power plant remains shut down after being shelled on July 29. The plume from the huge fire ignited by the shelling set is visible here.

Khan Younis

Israel targeted residences in Khan Younis it says belonged to members of Hamas. One strike leveled a four-story house, killing more than two dozen people. Another strike, in a crowded neighborhood, set off huge secondary explosions. Detailed data on destroyed buildings here was not available.

Rafah

Israeli forces bombarded the Rafah area after three soldiers were killed by Palestinian militants who emerged from a tunnel near the beginning of a humanitarian cease-fire. Detailed data on destroyed buildings here was not available.

By Jeremy Ashkenas, Archie Tse, Tim Wallace, Derek Watkins and Karen Yourish 

Sources: Imagery analyses by Sean O’Connor, an analyst for IHS Jane’s, and Niko Milonopoulos, an analyst for Solarium Analytics; building damage assessments by Unitar/Unosat; United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; United Nations Relief and Works Agency; Israel Defense Forces 

Notes: The areas of change, shown in orange on the large map, were calculated by comparing Landsat 8 images taken June 28 and July 30. 

Correction: August 4, 2014 

A previous version of this interactive map contained outdated information about the fate of Second Lt. Hadar Goldin. He was killed in an ambush near Rafah, not captured.