Israeli army demolishes thousands of Palestinian homes in Gaza

The Israeli army has completed the demolition of thousands of Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media on Wednesday.

"The army has completed the demolition of thousands of Palestinian homes that over the years provided sites for launching attacks and monitoring Israeli communities," Yedioth Ahronoth media outlet said.

The demolitions included the eastern urban areas of Al-Shuja'iya neighborhood and the eastern and northern parts of Beit Hanoun.

This operation "will facilitate the safe return of residents of communities near the Gaza border to their homes," the newspaper said.

Images published by the Israeli newspaper showed massive destruction in the area compared to the period before the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

"Every building destroyed through demolition or airstrikes has been examined and identified as a military target for Hamas," the newspaper said, citing an Israeli military statement.

Another wave of home demolitions is planned in other areas in the Gaza Strip, according to the newspaper.

Israel has pounded the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 23,357 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 59,410 others, according to local health authorities. Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas offensive.

About 85% of Gazans have been displaced, while all of them are food insecure, according to the UN. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without shelter, and ⁠less than half of aid trucks are entering the territory than before the start of the conflict.