Three years of war have reshaped nearly every part of life in Gaza

Three years into the war in Gaza, assessments of conditions in the territory point to sweeping damage across the economy, education system, healthcare network, infrastructure and public services that sustain daily life for Palestinians there.

The war has disrupted the functioning of hospitals and clinics, straining a healthcare system that was already under pressure before the conflict began. Shortages of medical supplies, damaged facilities and the sheer scale of casualties have combined to push the sector toward collapse in various periods of the war.

Gaza's education system has likewise been severely disrupted, with large numbers of schools damaged or destroyed and many children going extended periods without access to formal schooling. The loss of educational infrastructure is expected to have long-term consequences for a generation of Palestinian children.

Economically, the war has devastated livelihoods across the territory. Businesses have been destroyed, agricultural land has gone unused or been damaged, and unemployment has risen sharply as the conditions needed for ordinary commerce have largely disappeared in many areas.

Basic infrastructure, including water, electricity and sanitation systems, has also suffered extensive damage, complicating efforts to deliver humanitarian aid and maintain even minimal living conditions for the population that remains in Gaza.

Taken together, these changes describe a territory where the basic systems that once supported daily life have been fundamentally altered, with reconstruction expected to take years once conditions allow it to begin.