Erasing Roots and History: Israel’s Destruction of Gaza’s Urban Landscape

As Israeli escalation continues, much of Gaza no longer resembles the places its residents once knew. Bombing and demolition have transformed neighborhoods, streets, and landmarks into rubble stretching as far as the eye can see. Shadi Shamia reported for Al Jazeera that entire districts have been leveled, with familiar streets erased under bombardment and bulldozing.

Gaza Municipality confirmed that Israel has wiped out entire cities and residential areas as part of a plan to displace residents and tighten control over the besieged territory. The shock of return is evident: Palestinians coming back to their neighborhoods find nothing but ruins. Abu Hossam Mortaja, returning to al-Zeitoun after months of displacement, described his devastation: “We came back hoping to find a room, a house, a street. We found nothing—no homes, no streets, only rubble piled on rubble.”

The destruction extends beyond homes and infrastructure, erasing the urban fabric itself. Streets, mosques, historic buildings, and archaeological sites—long part of Gaza’s identity—have been obliterated. Urban planning expert Hamouda al-Dahdar explained that Israel deliberately targeted the old city’s environment, leveling al-Shuja’iya, al-Tuffah, and eastern al-Zeitoun. He argued this aims to sever Palestinians’ connection to their land, history, and roots.

Municipal spokesman Hosni Mhanna echoed this, stating that Israel’s demolition of neighborhoods and residential blocks is part of a broader plan to reshape Gaza’s identity, especially in historic and border areas, as part of displacement and territorial control strategies.

The stark reality is that beneath today’s rubble once stood vibrant neighborhoods, markets, and streets. Now, their features are unrecognizable to residents who lived there for decades. The war of extermination since October 2023 has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, mostly women and children, while destroying 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure. Despite a ceasefire, Israel’s operations since October 2025 have killed 951 more Palestinians and injured 2,984, under a blockade that continues to deny essential aid to over two million people living in catastrophic conditions.