On World Habitat Day: The occupation has destroyed 82% of all buildings in the Gaza Strip

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) announced that the number of buildings damaged due to the ongoing Israeli occupation aggression on the Gaza Strip from October 7, 2023, until June 16, 2026, reached approximately 201,290 buildings. This represents an estimated 82% of all buildings in the Strip. Among these, 134,422 buildings were completely destroyed, 13,848 buildings were severely damaged, and the number of damaged housing units reached about 328,627.

This documentation was released in a statement issued by the PCBS today, Monday, to mark World Habitat Day—established by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)—as well as Arab Housing Day, designated by the Council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Reconstruction.

World Habitat Day 2026 is held under the slogan "Adequate Housing for All" amid an escalating global housing crisis. UN-Habitat indicates that approximately 2.8 billion people worldwide face various forms of inadequate housing, including 1.1 billion people living in slums and informal settlements.

In the Palestinian context, this day holds exceptional significance. The Palestinian people face widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, continuous displacement, forced evictions, and house demolitions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. This is coupled with economic, social, and environmental challenges that severely limit families' access to adequate housing and basic services.

In the West Bank, northern governorates have suffered extensive destruction. In the Jenin camp, the total number of damaged buildings reached 680, representing about 53% of its total buildings. Meanwhile, damaged buildings in the Noor Shams camp reached 434 (55% of total buildings), and 407 buildings were damaged in the Tulkarm camp (about 37% of total buildings), according to data extending up to February 2026.

The housing crisis and destruction are not confined to the Gaza Strip. Throughout 2026, forced displacement, land confiscation, and the targeting of Palestinian homes and facilities continued across the West Bank, including the Jerusalem Governorate.

According to data from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli occupation authorities carried out approximately 341 demolitions during the first half of 2026. This resulted in the destruction of 740 Palestinian structures (including inhabited and uninhabited homes, livelihoods, agricultural facilities, and others). Furthermore, 254 demolition notices were issued under the pretext of lacking permits, concentrated primarily in the governorates of Hebron (102 notices), Bethlehem (70 notices), and Jerusalem (34 notices).

Demolitions were accompanied by a sharp increase in settler attacks, totaling 3,488 assaults during the first half of 2026, targeting Palestinian communities, property, lands, and livelihoods. The total number of Palestinians displaced in the West Bank due to demolitions, evictions, settler attacks, and related restrictions exceeded 4,000 individuals between the start of 2026 and September 2026, according to reports by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). These developments reflect the widening scope of pressure imposed on Palestinian communities, undermining housing stability, the ability to remain on their lands, and access to basic services.

Since October 7, 2023, large-scale military operations and the destruction of homes and infrastructure have led to repeated, mass displacement of the population in the Gaza Strip. Most of the Strip's 2.1 million residents remain displaced. Due to access restrictions across vast areas, residents are now confined to less than 40% of the Gaza Strip's total area, causing extreme overcrowding and immense pressure on the remaining refuge zones.

About 3.4% of households in the West Bank reside in high-density housing units (defined as 3 or more people per room). By community type, this rate stands at 3.0% in urban areas, 3.8% in rural areas, and jumps significantly to 8.9% within refugee camps as of 2025.

A notable shift occurred in the distribution of West Bank households by housing type between 2024 and 2025. The percentage of families living in apartments rose from 60.4% in 2024 to 68.6% in 2025. Additionally, families living in housing classified as "other" increased from 0.4% to 1.6% over the same period.

This shift is most pronounced in refugee camps, where households living in "other" types of housing reached 20.1% in 2025, compared to just 1.4% in rural areas and 0.3% in urban areas. This spike is particularly evident in the Tulkarm and Jenin governorates, reflecting the stark changes in housing conditions forced upon families due to demolitions and displacement.

Data from the first half of 2026 shows that approximately 90% of the water and sanitation infrastructure in the Gaza Strip has been damaged or destroyed. This has severely crippled access to safe and regular water services.

Furthermore, 82% of households suffer from water insecurity. Up to 70% of families in the Gaza Strip are only able to access 6 liters of water per person per day—far below the minimum standard of 15 liters per person per day recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Reflecting the widespread destruction in Gaza and construction challenges in the West Bank, building permit data illustrates the level of licensed urban activity.

The number of building permits issued in Palestine during the second quarter of 2026 decreased by 1% compared to the first quarter of 2026. A total of 1,814 building permits were issued during Q2 2026, including 1,199 for new buildings. The number of licensed housing units reached 4,105 units, of which 3,554 were new residential units. However, the number of newly licensed housing units marked a 20% increase compared to the second quarter of 2025.