As the 1,000th day of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip passes, the scale of the humanitarian devastation in the region has been laid bare by the numbers. The collapse of the health system, mass displacement, and infrastructure destruction have made life nearly impossible for survivors.
Health system collapsed, thousands of wounded stranded
Ninety-four percent of health facilities that were operational before October 2023 have been damaged or rendered unusable. This has made access to treatment nearly impossible for 173,000 wounded, including more than 42,000 with severe injuries.
The Gaza Health Ministry announced that Israel has prevented the travel of 17,000 patients and wounded who had received medical referral approval for treatment abroad. The ministry warned that death rates are rising among patients awaiting travel.
Restricted passage at Rafah border crossing
After being closed for nearly 20 months following the Israeli army's seizure of control in May 2024, the Rafah border crossing was partially reopened on February 2, 2026, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. However, the crossing was closed again at the end of February, citing the start of the war with Iran, and operated on a limited basis in March and April.
Since May 21, 2026, only pedestrian crossings have been permitted at the gate, with dozens of patients, wounded, and humanitarian cases able to cross daily under strict Israeli supervision. Despite this, thousands of cases inside Gaza continue to wait in line for travel.
Hunger and education crisis
Seventy-three thousand people have been killed in the war. As of May 2026, more than 47,000 women have been widowed, and over 58,000 children have lost one or both parents.
Israeli attacks destroyed 98.5 percent of agricultural land. In mid-August 2025, famine was officially declared in Gaza. 1.6 million Palestinians face food insecurity, including more than 100,000 children under the age of five.
UNRWA's significant reduction of services due to funding shortages has deepened the crisis in food and education. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics recorded that between 2025 and 2026, approximately 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women suffered from severe malnutrition.
Infrastructure razed to the ground
Ninety-seven percent of the drinking water network is unusable. Eighty percent of the energy infrastructure and more than 5,000 kilometers of the electricity grid have been destroyed. More than 80 percent of main roads have become impassable.
Ninety-five percent of schools have been damaged, and 284 schools have been completely destroyed. Around 700,000 children are deprived of education, while more than 88,000 university students have been unable to continue their studies.
Israeli bombardment damaged 32,060 commercial and industrial facilities. The unemployment rate has reached 80 percent; only one in four people can participate in the active labor force. 268,000 homes have been completely destroyed, 148,000 homes have been severely damaged, and 2 million people have been displaced.
The United Nations estimates the total infrastructure loss in Gaza due to the Israeli war at approximately $70 billion.
Reconstruction debates
Andreas Krieg, a lecturer at King's College London's School of Security Studies and a researcher at the Institute of Middle East Studies, said the reconstruction process in Gaza "will be unlike any process in modern history."
