Three Years On: Gaza Transformed into a Vast Tent City as War's Devastation Deepens

Three years after Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza, the Palestinian territory has been reshaped into what observers describe as one of the largest tent cities on Earth. With the vast majority of the population left without homes, makeshift shelters constructed from canvas and nylon now stretch across beaches, former farmland, and empty lots throughout the coastal enclave.

The scale of human loss is staggering. According to figures cited by Al Jazeera, more than one in ten people from Gaza's pre-war population has been either killed or wounded by Israeli fire since the conflict began in October 2023. This means that nearly every household in the territory is now either mourning a death or caring for someone injured during the hostilities.

For the hundreds of thousands of displaced families, life has become a cycle of survival. Although a ceasefire agreement reached in 2025 halted the most intense bombardments and large-scale ground offensives, the situation on the ground remains precarious. Israeli forces continue to conduct regular strikes targeting tents, vehicles, and buildings, with women, children, and other civilians frequently among the casualties.

The constant fear of displacement has eased somewhat compared to the war's earlier phases, when evacuation orders forced residents to move repeatedly from one area to another. However, few Palestinians have been able to begin rebuilding their lives. Israel maintains strict restrictions on the entry of most construction materials into Gaza, making any significant reconstruction nearly impossible.

The 2025 ceasefire deal included provisions for large-scale rebuilding efforts, but those plans have largely stalled. A key obstacle has been the failure of Israel and Hamas to reach agreements on two critical issues: the disarmament of the Palestinian militant group and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. Without progress on these fronts, the reconstruction process remains frozen.

The human cost of the war continues to be felt in every corner of Gaza. Among those affected is Najwa Abu Eita, who now lives in a tent in Nuseirat, located in central Gaza. She was injured during an Israeli bombardment and lost her seven-year-old daughter in 2024. Her story is one of countless similar accounts of loss and endurance.

For some residents, the destruction of their homes has forced them to adapt in unimaginable ways. Murid Akhziq, a 43-year-old man, was photographed lighting a cooking fire inside the ruins of his Gaza City home, which was destroyed during the war. Many others have taken shelter in the remnants of buildings that once served as schools, hospitals, and community centers.

The United Nations has reported that a school it operated in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City now lies in ruins, one of many civilian infrastructure sites destroyed during the conflict. The widespread damage has left Gaza's already fragile public services in a state of near-collapse, with water, electricity, and healthcare systems severely compromised.

Funerals have become an almost daily occurrence. At the Church of St Porphyrius in Gaza City, mourners gathered to bid farewell to Maisaa Abu Dawood and her daughter Mary, both killed in an early-morning Israeli air strike on October 3, 2026. The flag-draped remains of other Palestinians killed in strikes were also laid to rest after their bodies were recovered from the rubble.

Palestinian authorities estimate that more than 90 percent of Gaza has been destroyed, and that Israeli forces now control roughly 80 percent of the besieged territory. Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to fields of debris, with roads lined by both tents and the remnants of bombed-out buildings.

Satellite imagery and ground-level photographs show a landscape transformed. Where thriving communities once stood, there are now sprawling encampments that stretch as far as the eye can see. Displaced Palestinians can be seen walking along streets flanked by temporary shelters on one side and the skeletal remains of destroyed structures on the other.

The humanitarian implications of this crisis extend beyond housing. With most of the population crowded into ever-shrinking areas, concerns about disease outbreaks, food insecurity, and psychological trauma have grown. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that the conditions in Gaza are among the worst they have encountered in recent decades.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the broader conflict have yet to yield a lasting solution. The deadlock over disarmament and military withdrawal has left Gaza in a state of limbo, with neither full-scale war nor genuine peace. For ordinary residents, the uncertainty is compounded by the knowledge that reconstruction on any meaningful scale remains a distant prospect.

Three years into the war, the images emerging from Gaza tell a story of resilience amid ruin. Tent cities have become a permanent fixture of the landscape, a visible symbol of a displaced population's struggle to survive. While the guns have largely fallen silent since the 2025 ceasefire, the devastation left in their wake continues to shape daily life in ways that will likely endure for years to come.