RAMALLAH: A recent report by The Wall Street Journal has likened the destruction resulting from the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip to the wartime devastation witnessed in Germany during World War II (1939-1945).

The newspaper underscored the dire situation by pointing out that the majority of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are now non-operational, with only eight healthcare facilities available to serve the population.

It further observed that Gaza’s historical landmarks, including churches from the Byzantine era, mosques, factories, buildings, schools, hotels, shopping centers, as well as crucial utilities like electricity and water sources, have sustained irreversible damage.

Highlighting the human toll, the publication emphasized that nearly 85% of Gaza’s population (2.3 million people) has been displaced from their homes, and over 21,000 individuals in the region have lost their lives as a result of the Israeli offensive.

Quoting Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and an
expert on the history of aerial bombing, The Wall Street Journal reported his statement: “Gaza will enter history alongside cities like Dresden (Germany) and others that were bombed during World War II.”

The report referenced a World Bank publication from December 12, revealing that 77% of healthcare facilities, 72% of public buildings, including parks, courts, and libraries, 68% of communication infrastructure, and almost the entire industrial zone in Gaza were destroyed due to the Israeli aggression.

The Wall Street Journal also drew attention to the fact that while the United States dropped 3,678 bombs on Iraq between 2004 and 2010, Israel released approximately 29,000 bombs on Gaza since October 7.

Caroline Sands, a conflict expert from Kingston University in London, commented on the potential timeframe for Gaza’s reconstruction, stating that it could span decades in the best-case scenarios, according to the American newspaper.
Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA