Israel Has Robbed Gaza’s People of Their Homes
Israel has systematically destroyed 135,000 buildings across the Gaza Strip, an orgy of vandalism that has continued since the declaration of a ceasefire. It is obstructing all efforts at reconstruction with the aim of making life in Gaza impossible.
After breaking the Gaza ceasefire in March 2025, Israel massively increased its destruction of Palestinian homes. In just seven months before another ceasefire in October, it destroyed as many structures as it had in the previous year and a half. (Majdi Fathi / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
One year ago, on August 3, 2025, Israel destroyed my family’s house in El-Tuffah, a neighborhood in Gaza City. Israel did not bomb the house or demolish it with artillery shells. A remote-controlled vehicle packed with explosives drove down our street before detonating.
That is how Israel destroyed a house that stood for four generations. During the genocide, our house became shelter for four families. But when it was destroyed, barely any rubble was left.
I know how our house appears in the destruction data, because I helped trace and visualize it. At GazaIndex, we trace the data: 134,422 destroyed structures across the Gaza Strip; 34,666 in Gaza City; 2,575 in El-Tuffah. One of them is ours.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.