Tent Living and Scarce Jobs Define Gaza Three Years After October 7
Three years after the October 7, 2023, attacks led by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and sparked an extensive military offensive, roughly 80 percent of all buildings in Gaza have suffered damage or destruction, according to satellite imagery cited by i24NEWS.
Daily Survival in Tent Encampments Across Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis
Displaced families across the Gaza Strip manage daily routines defined by severe shortages of water, nourishing food, and medical supplies. Ahmed Ishtaiwi, a 43-year-old mechanic and driver originally from Beit Lahiya, lives in a tent near Deir al-Balah alongside his two daughters, having lost his former home to the destruction in the north. His most valuable possessions include six cheap, plastic chairs that remind him of drinking tea in his former garden. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Layan al-Jbour, displaced from Khan Younis to the al-Mawasi coastline, organizes a crowded makeshift shelter with her family while holding onto her schoolbag as her most precious remaining item, which connects her to memories of her friends and classes.
Ceasefire Stalls and Continuing Airstrikes Drive Regional Instability
Despite diplomatic efforts and prior ceasefire discussions, military operations and airstrikes persist across the territory. Recent strikes in Beit Lahiya and Khan Younis killed at least two Palestinians, according to Gaza medics, while the Israeli military maintained that its operations targeted militants.
Economic Collapse and Hamas Administration in the Strip
Economic activity remains severely depressed, with widespread unemployment forcing poor and jobless residents to rely entirely on community kitchens and free aid distributions. According to reporting by i24NEWS, Hamas has largely maintained a low profile while simultaneously reimposing its administrative control and levying taxes on merchants and residents, drawing frustration from locals who find employment opportunities strictly gated by political affiliation. Donald Trump’s plan to permanently end the conflict has stalled, leaving little progress toward disarming militant factions, withdrawing troops, or initiating large-scale reconstruction.
Personal Grief and Remnants of Prewar Professions
Individual accounts highlight the psychological toll of the prolonged conflict on families across the region. Esraa Abu Taiba, a 26-year-old from Bani Suheila who lost two brothers while others were wounded or detained, uses her former profession as a beautician to cut hair and apply makeup for weddings in the surrounding tents, offering a brief escape from the surrounding misery. In parallel accounts from southern Israel documented by Ynetnews, families of victims from the initial October 7 attack, such as Hamid Abu Arar—whose pregnant wife Fatma was killed during the assault—continue to cope with multi-year trauma and the challenge of raising children who survived the violence.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Situation in Gaza
What percentage of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed?
Satellite imagery shows that approximately 80 percent of all structures in the Gaza Strip have sustained damage or total destruction during the military campaign.
How much territory in Gaza is currently controlled by Israeli forces?
Israeli military forces currently maintain control over roughly 63 percent of the Gaza territory, leaving the remaining population concentrated in the other 37 percent.
What are the primary challenges facing displaced residents in the tent camps?
Displaced residents face severe shortages of clean water, nourishing food, and adequate medical supplies, alongside widespread infectious diseases driven by overcrowded living conditions and poor sanitation.
How are residents obtaining food if they lack employment?
With jobs nearly nonexistent outside of Hamas-approved NGO roles, impoverished residents rely heavily on community kitchens and free food distributions operated in the streets.