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Gaza's Landscape Erased: War's Toll Visible as Ceasefire Holds Uneasily
From an embankment north of Gaza City, the scale of destruction reveals a war that has reshaped the territory beyond recognition. Where neighborhoods once stood, a vast expanse of rubble now stretches unbroken from Beit Hanoun to the city's outskirts, a monochrome testament to nine months of conflict. Israeli forces, which first advanced into this zone in the war's early weeks, have returned repeatedly as Hamas regrouped in its strongholds.
Controlled Access, Censored Reporting
Israel restricts independent journalism in Gaza, but on Thursday, a group of reporters-including the BBC-was escorted into the Israeli-occupied sector under strict military supervision. The visit lasted hours, with no access to Palestinian residents or areas beyond the designated route. Under Israel's military censorship laws, all footage and notes were reviewed by authorities before publication, though the BBC retained full editorial control.
When questioned about the near-total devastation, Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani dismissed it as collateral. "Dismantling Hamas's infrastructure was the objective," he stated. "Virtually every structure hid tunnel shafts, explosives, or sniper positions. The threat to Israeli civilians-like the October 7 attacks-left no alternative."
"Within a minute, you could be in the living room of an Israeli grandmother or child. That's what happened on October 7."
Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, Israeli military spokesman
Human Cost and Ongoing Searches
The October 7 Hamas-led assaults killed 1,100 Israelis and seized 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry reports over 68,000 Palestinian deaths since the war began. In the rubble-strewn zone visited by reporters, Israeli forces confirmed recovering multiple hostage remains, including Itay Chen, whose body was returned this week. Searches continue for seven others still unaccounted for in the area.
The ceasefire, now nearly a month old, remains fragile. Israeli troops report daily clashes with Hamas fighters along the so-called "yellow line"-a temporary boundary marking Israeli-controlled territory under the US-backed peace plan. The line, demarcated by concrete blocks in some sectors, cuts through the ruins; in others, soldiers navigate by landmarks like a patch of sand amid the debris. Brass bullet casings litter the embankments, evidence of persistent skirmishes.
Accusations and Counterclaims
Hamas accuses Israel of violating the truce "hundreds of times," citing 240 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire began, per Gaza's Health Ministry. Col Shoshani countered that Israeli operations target only armed factions: "Hamas is rearming, executing civilians in broad daylight to assert control. Disarmament is non-negotiable."
Underground War: The Tunnel Network
Israeli forces displayed maps of what they described as a "spiderweb" of tunnels beneath the rubble-some destroyed, others still active. "Hamas uses these to regroup, resupply, and launch attacks," an officer explained. The military insists its presence will persist until the group's capacity to threaten Israel is neutralized, regardless of the US timeline for withdrawal.
Peace Plan in Limbo
The next phase of the US-led agreement demands Hamas disarm and cede power to a Palestinian committee overseen by international actors, including former US President Donald Trump. Yet Hamas shows no signs of compliance. "They're consolidating power, not surrendering it," Col Shoshani said. Meanwhile, a draft UN resolution, seen by the BBC, proposes a two-year international stabilization force to secure Gaza-though participating nations, withdrawal timelines, and the composition of a new technocratic government remain undefined.
Trump's vision for Gaza-a "futuristic Middle Eastern hub" funded by foreign investment-clashes with the territory's current reality: a shattered landscape where the question of Palestinian agency in reconstruction looms largest. With the ceasefire already faltering twice, the path from rubble to recovery remains uncertain.
