A BBC report from inside Gaza reveals a landscape of total devastation after two years of war, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble and ongoing tensions despite a ceasefire. The scene underscores the immense challenges of rebuilding and the fragile state of the region amid a US-led peace effort.
From an embankment overlooking Gaza City, the view is one of complete destruction, with familiar landmarks erased and replaced by a monochrome expanse of rubble stretching from Beit Hanoun to Gaza City. This area, once densely populated, is now unrecognizable, with only distant building shapes hinting at its former identity. The devastation is so extensive that it is difficult to orient oneself or identify the neighborhoods that housed tens of thousands of people before the conflict.
The war began with Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,100 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has led to the deaths of more than 68,000 Gazans, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. This particular region was among the first entered by Israeli ground troops and has seen repeated operations as Hamas regrouped in its strongholds.
The BBC’s visit was highly controlled by Israeli forces, which do not permit independent reporting from Gaza. Journalists were taken into the Israeli-occupied area of the Strip, with no access to Palestinians or other parts of Gaza. Military censorship laws required that material be reviewed by Israeli personnel before publication, though the BBC maintained full editorial control over the report.
Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani addressed the widespread destruction, stating it was not a goal but a consequence of combating terrorists. He explained that nearly every house had tunnel shafts, booby traps, or weapon stations, emphasizing the threat posed by Hamas and referencing the October 7 attacks. The bodies of several hostages, including Itay Chen returned this week, were found in this area, with searches continuing for seven others.
A ceasefire has been in place for nearly a month, but Israeli forces report fighting Hamas gunmen along the “yellow line” almost daily. This temporary boundary, part of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, divides areas controlled by Israeli forces from those held by Hamas. Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire hundreds of times, resulting in over 240 deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The US-led peace plan requires Hamas to disarm and hand over power to a Palestinian committee overseen by international figures, including President Trump. However, Col Shoshani stated that Hamas is instead arming itself and asserting control over Gaza, killing civilians to maintain dominance. The US is pushing for a durable peace, with a draft UN Security Council resolution proposing a two-year mandate for an international stabilisation force to secure Gaza and disarm Hamas.
Details of the next steps remain unclear, including which countries would contribute troops, when Israel will withdraw, and how the new administration will be appointed. President Trump has outlined a vision of Gaza as a futuristic Middle Eastern hub built with foreign investment, a stark contrast to the current reality of destruction and displacement. The situation leaves Gaza in a tense limbo, with the ceasefire fragile and the path to peace uncertain, raising questions about how much say Gazans will have in their future.