NEW: ‘A Cartography of Genocide’. Since October 2023, we have collected and analysed data related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Our findings indicate that Israel has systematically targeted all aspects of civilian life. tinyurl.com/bdcrnzka
We present our findings in a report and an interactive platform, revealing how Israel’s military campaign has fundamentally reshaped Gaza. Much of this reshaping appears to embody in practice the statements of genocidal intent made by Israeli state and army officials and media. We found:
Israel has imposed a new system of spatial control on Gaza, destroying agricultural lands and buildings to create infrastructure that supports a long-term military presence, including roads, checkpoints and a 1 km-wide buffer zone.
Israel destroyed agriculture and water resources across Gaza, in many cases permanently damaging them and degrading the territory’s ability to sustain life. By 30 June, Israel had destroyed ~70% of agricultural land, 47% of groundwater wells and 45% of greenhouses in Gaza.
Israel weaponised ‘protective measures’, repeatedly ordering the displacement of civilians to areas of Gaza it then attacked, conducting deadly strikes within the constantly shifting boundaries of an Israeli-designated ‘humanitarian zone’.
Israel systematically dismantled Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, attacking hospitals and targeting medical workers. By August, 35 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals had been forced out of service at least once, and at least 595 healthcare workers had been killed, and 300 arrested.
Israel repeatedly attacked civilian infrastructure in Gaza: 71% of known shelters, 53% of utilities, 75% of schools, 80% of religious institutions, 91% of cultural heritage sites have been destroyed or damaged.
Israel targeted sites and systems of humanitarian aid distribution when and where they became the primary mode of aid facilitation. We documented 322 such incidents, including targeted attacks on bakeries, shelters where aid was distributed, aid personnel, aid warehouses, and civilians trying to access aid.
To identify patterns across thousands of data points, we developed an interactive cartographic platform. This turns rows of data into a navigable map of Gaza, within which it is possible to define regions, periods in time, and select certain categories of events. See the platform here: gaza.forensic-architecture.org
The interrelated and compounding effects of these various dimensions of Israel’s assault on Gaza indicate a deliberate effort to render the territory incapable of supporting life, both in the present and in the long-term. Read our full report here: tinyurl.com/y4sbasrk
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