Israel demolished over 2,500 buildings in Gaza during ceasefire, NYT analysis shows

An analysis by The New York Times (NYT), based on satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs, has revealed that the Israeli army has demolished more than 2,500 buildings in Gaza in the two months since a ceasefire with Hamas came into effect.

The report emphasized that Israeli forces are continuing the mass demolition of Palestinian homes, agricultural lands, and greenhouses in Gaza.

Line dividing east and west: Shuja’iyya turned to ruins

The majority of the demolition activities have been concentrated on the Israeli-occupied eastern side of the Gaza Strip, along a line known as the “Yellow Line,” which divides the territory into east and west following the ceasefire.

The area is reported to be largely depopulated, with most Palestinians having been driven into the Hamas-controlled western section.

The NYT reported that while satellite images taken immediately after the ceasefire showed buildings in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood to be intact, images captured months later revealed the same area had been largely reduced to ruins.

Satellite data indicates that entire neighborhoods, farmlands, and greenhouses have been wiped off the map during the ceasefire period.

“This has nothing to do with security, everything is being destroyed”

Commenting on the situation in the region, Gazan political analyst Mohammed al-Astal said, “Israel is wiping entire areas off the map. The army is destroying everything in its path: houses, schools, factories, streets. This has nothing to do with security.”

Former Israeli commander Shaul Arieli also highlighted the scale of the destruction, stating, “This is not selective demolition, it is absolute demolition. Everything is being destroyed.”

The Tel Aviv administration justifies the demolitions by citing the necessity of destroying Hamas tunnels and booby-trapped houses.

In a social media post in November, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated, “The demolitions will continue until the last tunnel is destroyed. If there are no tunnels, there is no Hamas.”

Ultimate goal: Population evacuation and settlement areas

Israeli officials have reportedly stated openly since the beginning of the attacks on Gaza that they aim to drive as many of the region’s approximately 2 million Palestinians as possible into Egypt or other more distant countries.

This strategy of demolition on the ground is said to be aimed at clearing land for large-scale Jewish settlements in Gaza.

Leaked intelligence reports

According to leaked documents published in October 2023 by the Israeli culture magazine Mekomit, just days after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, the Israeli Ministry of Intelligence worked on three scenarios for the future of Gaza’s population.

Among these scenarios, the transfer of all 2.3 million residents of Gaza to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula was identified as the “most preferred option.”

A $112 billion project on the rubble

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), in December, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner proposed a $112 billion project to build a “high-tech metropolis” on the rubble of Gaza.

A 32-page presentation for the proposal, titled “Project Sunrise” and marked “sensitive,” was reportedly shared with officials from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Türkiye.

The plan envisions the four-phase reconstruction of Gaza over the next 20 years, transforming the region into a technology hub.