Highlights: Gaza is today “uninhabitable” according to the United Nations Human Rights Office. Since October 7, the enclave has been the target of incessant and indiscriminate bombing. Deprived of access, international observers, however, struggle to know the exact extent of the disaster. The Hamas Ministry of Health has already counted more than 26,700 dead and 65,000 injured since the start of the military operation.. “Beyond the human impact, we are witnessing the destruction of an entire society,” says Emily Tripp, director of Airwars.

Gaza is today “uninhabitable” according to the United Nations Human Rights Office. Since October 7, the enclave has been the target of incessant and indiscriminate bombing. Deprived of access,…

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“Uninhabitable” Gaza, the impossible field investigation

Gaza is today “uninhabitable” according to the United Nations Human Rights Office. Since October 7, the enclave has been the target of incessant and indiscriminate bombing. Deprived of access, international observers, however, struggle to know the exact extent of the disaster.

Palestinians observe the destruction after an Israeli strike on a residential building in Deir al Balah, in the Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 14, 2024. AP - Adel Hana

By: Oriane Verdier Follow

Last November, UN special rapporteur on housing Balakrishnan Rajagopal estimated that “

45% of Gaza's housing units had been destroyed or damaged by the Israeli attack

”. Last December, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borell described an “

apocalyptic

” situation in

Gaza

. According to him, the level of destruction is equal to, or even greater than, that of Germany during World War II.

Months pass, and the bombings continue from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip. On the ground, observers are becoming rarer, which makes understanding the situation increasingly complex. “

Many journalists have died
, others have left. We have less and less images and data to be able to analyze shootings and bombings

,” regrets Emily Tripp, director of Airwars. This NGO investigates civilian victims of armed conflicts. “

When you kill the people who document and bear witness to the damage caused by each strike, you also prevent the possibility of taking stock and identifying the perpetrators.

Airwars is used to collecting all possible images and information for each detected incident. “

There are also many partner organizations that are no longer able to communicate with their teams on the ground. They cannot therefore help us to cross-check the facts and the analysis is therefore very complex.

We are witnessing the destruction of an entire society

Emily Tripp still makes a comparison. “

After the battle of Raqqa [the large Syrian city recaptured from the Islamic State organization in 2017.], the UN declared that 80% of the city was uninhabitable. The air campaign led by the United States and its allies lasted six months. We already know that Israeli forces used more munitions and with greater frequency and greater degree of inaccuracy in three months on Gaza than the international coalition did in six months on Raqqa.

The Hamas Ministry of Health has already counted more than 26,700 dead and 65,000 injured since the start of the military operation. “

Beyond the human impact, we are witnessing the destruction of an entire society

,” according to Emily Tripp. “

Schools, water pipes, mosques... Everything is destroyed.

All the experts come to the same conclusion. In their careers, they have never seen a war of this intensity. “

All key infrastructure is affected, making life extremely difficult, if not impossible, in parts of Gaza

,” explains Christina Wille, director of Insecurity Insight. This association based in Switzerland analyzes the impact of violence on the civilian population in terms of food security, health and education. “

In some neighborhoods, even if you find food, you won't be able to cook it because there is no water.

Gaza City, October 11, 2023. AP - Adel Hana

Thousands injured, no more hospitals

In the same way, the lack of water, fuel, electricity and in this specific case medicine affects

the functioning of hospitals

. “

How do you want to operate without equipment, without light?

asks Christina Wille.

Without electricity, there is also no incubator for premature babies. If a doctor cannot wash his hands, this implies serious health problems. There are cascading consequences

. »

Hospitals are also affected by the bombings. “

Some directly,

” regrets Christina Wille,

“others indirectly through explosions in the surrounding area

.” The World Health Organization announced last week that it had organized a high-risk mission to refuel Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. In this establishment, which was the main hospital in Gaza City, there is no longer either a maternity ward or pediatric services. The hospital's main oxygen generator was destroyed.

According to the WHO, only seven of the 24 hospitals in northern Gaza are still open. They are only partially operational. Same thing in southern Gaza, where only seven hospitals out of 12 are partially operational, according to the UN agency.

“

With the Nasser hospital and the European hospital in Gaza being rendered unable to function, there is virtually no longer a health system in Gaza

,” says Guillemette Thomas, medical coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontière in Palestine.

The difficult collection of evidence

If exact and verified figures are difficult to obtain, the formal designation of the author of the damage is also difficult to prove without a presence on the ground to collect evidence. “

When we can prove that the damage was caused by an airstrike, it is certain that it was an Israeli strike

,” explains Christina Wille,

even if she admits that she cannot always prove it at the moment. The majority of artillery fire is also Israeli since Hamas does not have artillery of this type.

The researcher recognizes that it is possible that certain Hamas actions are not denounced by the population in the same way. Israel also accused the group in control of the Gaza Strip of using the supposed protection of hospitals to hide their weapons or tunnel entrances. “

Once again, we cannot know what is propaganda or truth since international observers are not authorized to assess the ground.

In its order, the International Court of Justice recalled at the end of last week that “

the military operation carried out by Israel after October 7, 2023 notably caused tens of thousands of deaths and injuries and caused the destruction of homes, of schools, medical facilities and other vital infrastructure, as well as massive population displacements.

» Israel today has one month to report to the Court on the application on the ground of preventive measures

to prevent genocide

“

But are the Israeli Forces capable of analyzing the damage caused by each strike?

» asks Emily Tripp. “

This is normally a procedure carried out after each strike by armies according to international law. It will therefore be important for the Israelis to show that they are well aware of the losses caused by their actions.

“Uninhabitable” Gaza, the impossible field investigation

“Uninhabitable” Gaza, the impossible field investigation

Thousands injured, no more hospitals

The difficult collection of evidence

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