Gaza: The devastating legacy of two years of conflict

As shocking as they are, the numbers do not come close to capturing the scale of human suffering in Gaza.

More than 67,000 Palestinians killed, including at least 20,000 children. More than 167,000 wounded. Around 1.9 million displaced. At least 400 deaths from starvation. A half-million or more people facing famine. 460 Israeli soldiers killed and 2,900 wounded. Around 190 Palestinian journalists killed. More than 550 aid workers killed.

Beyond the numbers, some have sought to encapsulate the horror with words: The U.N. Commission of Inquiry said in September that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, an assessment rejected by Israel.

Israel began its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages. Of the 48 hostages still in Gaza, 20 are believed to be alive.

Two years later, the narrow 25-mile (40 km) strip of land is a flattened wasteland where dreams, hopes and thousands of bodies lie shattered beneath the rubble of obliterated homes, schools, mosques and hospitals.

What has happened in Gaza has also reshaped the world outside with international conventions and humanitarian principles breached repeatedly over 24 months.

As the world waits to see if a peace deal backed by U.S. President Donald Trump will come into effect, we tally the cost of the war in lives and destruction, look at how the Israeli assault and aid blockade has reshaped the global humanitarian system and investigate what lies ahead for Palestinians as more and more countries formally recognise Palestinian statehood.

For our previous reporting on the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Gaza conflict, click here.