Photos: Three years of Israel’s war on Gaza as tent cities spread amid ruin

What does it mean to describe Gaza as one of the world’s largest tent cities?

Describing Gaza as one of the world’s largest tent cities highlights the scale of homelessness. Almost the entire population has been forced from normal homes. Tents are no longer isolated emergency shelters. They have become the main places where families live.

The article says ramshackle canvas and nylon shelters cover beaches, former agricultural land, and vacant lots. Families use them after repeated displacement caused by fighting and evacuation orders. These shelters provide little space and limited protection, while many residents mourn relatives or care for injured people.

The tent-city description also shows why recovery remains difficult. People are no longer fleeing constantly under the 2025 ceasefire, but they still cannot rebuild easily. Israel continues to block most construction materials from entering Gaza. Until materials enter and reconstruction begins, temporary shelters are likely to remain widespread.

How many people in Gaza have been killed or wounded, and how many have been displaced or left homeless?

The article reports that more than one in 10 people from Gaza’s pre-war population have been killed or wounded by Israeli fire since October 2023. It does not provide an exact combined number of casualties. The figure includes both people killed and people injured.

The housing crisis is even broader. The article says most residents have been forced to move repeatedly, and that almost the entire population has been left homeless. This means displacement has affected nearly every community, not only people whose homes were directly destroyed. Many families are living in tents or other temporary shelters.

These figures show two connected forms of harm. The war has caused mass death and injury, while repeated movement has stripped people of stable housing. The article says residents are now less likely to flee constantly, but rebuilding remains blocked because most construction materials cannot enter Gaza.

Why have so many families been forced to move repeatedly since the war began in October 2023?

Repeated displacement means families have not simply lost homes once; they have been pushed from place to place. The article links this movement to ongoing fighting and evacuation orders. People leave because their neighborhoods or shelters may become targets, or because authorities order them to evacuate.

The pattern affects nearly the whole population. The article says most residents have been forced to move repeatedly, while almost every family is grieving, caring for injured relatives, or both. Families often carry what they can and seek safety in temporary shelters. Tents then spread across beaches, former farmland, and vacant lots.

The 2025 ceasefire changed this pattern only partly. Large-scale offensives and the heaviest bombardment stopped, so people no longer have to flee as constantly. Yet Israel still regularly strikes tents, cars, and buildings. Continued attacks and restricted rebuilding keep many families displaced instead of allowing them to return home.

What happens to people’s health, safety, and daily lives when nearly an entire population is homeless and caring for the injured?

When nearly an entire population is homeless, people lose the basic protection and stability that homes provide. Families must sleep in temporary shelters while dealing with grief, injuries, and fear. The article says nearly every family is mourning someone or caring for an injured person. This makes daily life a continuous emergency.

The article describes tents spread across beaches, former agricultural land, and vacant lots. These shelters are vulnerable places, especially because Israel still regularly strikes tents, cars, and buildings. Caring for injured relatives becomes harder when families are repeatedly displaced and lack secure living space. Normal routines, privacy, schooling, work, and rest are also disrupted by homelessness and danger.

The crisis continues even after the 2025 ceasefire reduced large-scale offensives and heavy bombardment. Most construction materials remain blocked, so families cannot easily repair or replace homes. Without safer conditions, medical support, and materials for rebuilding, displacement continues to shape health, safety, and everyday life.

Who are Israel and Hamas, and what roles do they play in the fighting and the ceasefire negotiations?

Israel is a state whose military has conducted the attacks and offensives described in the article. Hamas is a Palestinian armed and political organization that operates in Gaza and is treated as a combatant by Israel. The article refers to Hamas as “the group” whose disarmament is part of the ceasefire negotiations.

The 2025 agreement paused large-scale offensives and the heaviest bombardment. However, it did not settle every issue. Israel still regularly strikes tents, cars, and buildings, according to the article. The proposed reconstruction plan depends on a broader political and security arrangement, rather than only on stopping the biggest attacks.

Negotiations have stalled because Israel and Hamas have not reached agreement on two central points: Hamas giving up its weapons and Israeli forces withdrawing. Until those questions are resolved, large-scale reconstruction cannot move forward. Families may have fewer forced flights than before, but they still lack a clear path back to permanent homes.

What is a ceasefire, and why can attacks and displacement continue even after one is announced?

A ceasefire is an agreed pause or reduction in fighting between opposing sides. It can limit certain attacks without resolving the war’s political and military disputes. The word does not automatically mean that every weapon is silent or that civilians can immediately return home. Its exact protections depend on the agreement and whether the parties follow them.

In Gaza, the article says the 2025 ceasefire halted large-scale offensives and the heaviest bombardment. Yet Israel still regularly strikes tents, cars, and buildings. These attacks frequently kill women, children, and other relatives. This shows how a ceasefire can coexist with continuing violence when it stops some operations but does not end all attacks.

The arrangement also leaves major issues unsettled. Israel and Hamas have not agreed on Hamas disarming or Israeli forces withdrawing. The reconstruction plan has therefore stalled. People may no longer need to flee constantly, but ongoing strikes and blocked rebuilding still prevent a return to normal life.

How do restrictions on construction materials and humanitarian goods affect a society’s ability to rebuild after war?

Construction materials are the basic inputs needed to repair homes, schools, clinics, roads, water systems, and other infrastructure. When most materials are barred from entering Gaza, destruction cannot be replaced with permanent structures. Families remain in temporary shelters, and communities cannot restore services at the scale required after war.

The article gives a direct example: people no longer have to flee constantly under the 2025 ceasefire, but few can rebuild because Israel continues to block most construction materials. As a result, canvas and nylon shelters remain on beaches, former agricultural land, and vacant lots. The proposed large-scale reconstruction plan has also stalled.

This restriction extends the effects of war beyond the fighting itself. Even if major offensives stay halted, homes and public facilities remain damaged. Recovery therefore depends not only on safety, but also on materials entering Gaza and Israel and Hamas resolving disputes over disarmament and Israeli troop withdrawal.

Key Facts:

📌 Almost Gaza’s entire population has been left homeless.

📌 Tents cover beaches, farmland, and vacant lots.

📌 Construction-material restrictions hinder rebuilding.

📌 More than one in 10 people were killed or wounded.

📌 Almost Gaza’s entire population has been left homeless.

📌 The article gives no exact casualty headcount.

📌 Fighting and evacuation orders repeatedly uproot families.