Over 2,500 buildings reportedly destroyed in Gaza by Israel since ceasefire

Jan 16, 2026 - 23:00
Over 2,500 buildings reportedly destroyed in Gaza by Israel since ceasefire
Buildings destroyed in Gaza

Research carried out by The New York Times has shown that over 2,500 structures in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli actions since a ceasefire agreement was made in October 2025.

Analysing satellite imagery from Planet Labs, the New York Times reported that Israel has continued demolishing buildings despite signing a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which went into effect on 10 October.

The analysis found that over 2,500 buildings in Gaza have been destroyed since the start of the ceasefire, including entire neighbourhood blocks and agricultural greenhouses.

Buildings destroyed on both sides of truce line

As part of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement, the Israeli military withdrew behind a truce line, leaving it in control of more than half of the Gaza Strip. Most of the recently destroyed buildings were located in the Israeli-controlled area according to the research.

However, the New York Times reported that some buildings were found to be destroyed in areas where the Israeli military had agreed to suspend action.

Israeli officials claim that its military is destroying booby-trapped homes and underground tunnels formerly used by militant groups. But, according to the New York Times, Palestinians in the region argue buildings are being flattened indiscriminately.

A 20-point peace plan set out by US president Donald Trump formed the basis of the October ceasefire agreement, which stated that "all military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt".

The plan also stated that "if both sides agree to this proposal, the war will immediately end" and "all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended".

US special envoy Steve Witkoff recently announced on X that the US plans to start the second phase of the ceasefire, which would involve "the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza".

Over 81 per cent of Gaza's buildings damaged

An assessment by the United Nations found that as of 11 October 2025, around 81 per cent of all structures in Gaza were damaged. Out of a total of 198,273 affected structures, 123,464 were destroyed.

Around 450 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the October ceasefire, according to The Guardian.

Israel's most recent military campaign, in response to Hamas's 7 October attacks in 2023, has killed over 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza, using methods of warfare that several UN reports have found "consistent with the characteristics of genocide".

Two leading human rights groups based in Israel, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, have also said that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and that the USA and European countries have a legal and moral duty to stop this from happening.

Israel denies it is committing genocide and is fighting the allegations at the International Court of Justice, which in January 2024, ordered the country to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and later issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

The photo is by Anas-Mohammed via Shutterstock.

Comments have been turned off on this story due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter.

The post Over 2,500 buildings reportedly destroyed in Gaza by Israel since ceasefire appeared first on Dezeen.

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