Several families in the region have relocated and moved south to escape death. With their belongings on bullock carts, cars, trucks and other modes of transportation, the mass evacuation took place amid air strikes and ground assault.
The images were compared with UNOSAT’s cropland damage analysis to underpin the notable changes. UNOSAT used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a widely used metric to quantify the health and density of vegetation using sensor data. North Gaza has 31.3 sq km of cropland, of which 24.6 sq km or 79 per cent has been destroyed, leaving just 6.7 sq km.
During a conflict, natural vegetation is the most vulnerable to damage, leading to soil erosion and damage to croplands, impacting food production and causing other health impacts.
The UN report states “The methodology evaluated the damage as a decline in the health and density of crops in September 2024, in comparison to the preceding seven seasons spanning from 2017 to 2024. The decline in the health and density of the crops can be observed due to the impact of activities such as razing, heavy vehicle activity, bombing, shelling, and other conflict-related dynamics. The analysis includes damage assessment for orchards and other trees, field crops and vegetables.”
“The analysis shows that the agricultural extent in the Gaza Strip is estimated to be 150 sq. km, accounting for approximately 41% of the total area of the Gaza Strip.”
The United Nations estimates there are over 42 million tonnes of debris, including both shattered edifices that are still standing and flattened buildings across Gaza.
Israel: One Year After Attacks
Israel is still under attack from all directions. The frequency of attacks from Gaza has significantly reduced, but the war opened several fronts for the nation to deal with. Hezbollah – A Shia militant group in Lebanon – has been relentlessly attacking north Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, forcing over 70,000 Israelis to leave their homes for a safer location.
Israel said the gravity of the conflict has moved north to ensure the safe return of its citizens that have been under attack but the pager and walkie-talkie blasts across Lebanon to target Hezbollah, led to a wider conflict where the militant group alleged that Israel was behind the explosions. The conflict escalated to an air, artillery campaign, similar to Gaza, killing thousands including the group’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, and his potential successor Hashem Safieddine a week later. Israel has eliminated a majority of Hezbollah leaders.
Meanwhile, Houthi rebels – a group backed by Iran – in Yemen have carried out several attacks since last year, opening another front for Tel Aviv.
Since last year, Israel and Iran – two arch-rivals in West Asia – have confronted each other directly with missile and drone attacks. In April, Iran launched a missile and drone attack on Israel after strikes on its consulate in Damascus, Syria. The projectiles were mostly aimed at non-civilian areas. An Israeli response followed it.
Six months later, Iran launched over 200 missiles targetting military and civilian areas, a paradigm shift in its approach to confront Israel after it killed Nasrallah. An Israeli response to the attack is expected soon.
Since last year, the US and other regional powers have failed to broker a ceasefire since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is adamant about fulfilling the military objectives and attacks from Gaza have not stopped.