Israeli bombardments damage more than half of Gaza’s housing units

About 40,000 housing units in the besieged enclave were completely destroyed by the Israeli army, Gaza officials say.

Israeli bombardments have caused damage to more than 50 percent of housing units across Gaza, according to local officials.

In a statement published on Friday, the media office of Gaza’s government said about 40,000 housing units in the besieged enclave were completely destroyed by the Israeli army.

It also said about 32,000 tons (29,000 tonnes) of explosives had been dropped on Gaza since the start of the war on October 7 when Hamas, the group that rules Gaza, attacked Israel, prompting a retaliation.

The estimated preliminary losses in the housing sector and infrastructure are estimated to be $2bn each, the office said.

A new analysis by two United States-based researchers, James Van Den Hoek and Corey Scher, and Al Jazeera’s AJ Labs unit showed that overall at least 16 percent of all buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed. In Gaza City alone, the building destruction reached at least 28 percent.

According to the latest data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Palestinian government, and as of November 7, Israeli attacks have damaged at least 222,000 residential units, with more than 40,000 completely destroyed.

The UN report also said 278 educational facilities, 270 healthcare facilities and 69 places of worship were damaged, including mosques and churches.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies