Three Years On: Gaza Becomes a Tent City as Reconstruction Stalls and Loss Mounts

Three years after Israel launched its war on Gaza, the territory has been transformed into what observers describe as one of the largest tent cities in the world. With the vast majority of the population left without homes, makeshift shelters built from canvas and nylon now blanket beaches, occupy former farmland, and fill empty lots across the coastal strip, according to a photographic review published by Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.

The human toll has been staggering. More than one in ten people from Gaza's pre-war population has reportedly been killed or wounded by Israeli fire since the conflict began in October 2023. That figure means nearly every household in the territory is now either mourning a death or caring for someone injured, a reality that has reshaped family life and community structures across Gaza.

Displacement has become a defining feature of daily existence. Most residents have been forced to move repeatedly over the past three years, fleeing active fighting and Israeli evacuation orders that have pushed families from one area to another. Many have relocated so often that they no longer have a permanent connection to any single neighborhood or home.

Despite a "ceasefire" agreement reached in 2025, which halted large-scale offensives and the heaviest bombardment, violence has not ended. Israel continues to carry out regular strikes on tents, cars, and buildings, according to the report. These attacks frequently kill women, children, and other relatives, leaving families to endure losses even during periods of relative calm.

The 2025 deal was intended to pave the way for large-scale reconstruction, but that process has stalled. Israel and Hamas have yet to reach an agreement on disarming the group and on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Without progress on those issues, the reconstruction plan remains unfulfilled, leaving displaced residents in limbo.

Even if a deal were reached, rebuilding would face enormous obstacles. Israel continues to bar most construction materials from entering Gaza, making it nearly impossible for residents to repair or replace destroyed homes. As a result, few people can begin the work of rebuilding, and the tent cities that have emerged over the past three years are likely to remain a fixture for the foreseeable future.

The scale of destruction is immense. More than 90 percent of Gaza has been destroyed, according to Palestinian authorities, and Israeli forces now control 80 percent of the besieged territory. The combination of widespread devastation and ongoing military control has left the population with little space to recover or rebuild.

Photographs documenting the past three years capture the breadth of the crisis. In Nuseirat, central Gaza, Najwa Abu Eita sits inside her tent; she was injured in an Israeli bombardment during the war and lost her seven-year-old daughter in 2024. Her story reflects the dual burden carried by many survivors: physical wounds and the enduring grief of losing a child.

In Gaza City, 43-year-old Murid Akhziq lights a fire to cook inside his home, which was destroyed during the war. His situation illustrates how even those who remain near their former properties often have no habitable structure left, forcing them to improvise daily routines amid ruins.

Funerals have become a recurring feature of life. Mourners gathered at the Church of St Porphyrius in Gaza City for the funeral of Palestinians Maisaa Abu Dawood and her daughter, Mary, who were killed in an early-morning Israeli air strike on October 3, 2026. The deaths of a mother and daughter in a single strike underscore the ongoing risk faced by civilians.

Elsewhere in Gaza City, Palestinians walk along streets lined with tents sheltering displaced people and buildings destroyed by Israeli military strikes. The juxtaposition of temporary shelters and permanent destruction has become a common sight, a visual representation of a population caught between displacement and the inability to rebuild.

The destruction has also hit civilian infrastructure. A UN-run school in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City lies in ruins. Palestinian Civil Defence crews have been seen carrying bodies from the rubble of a collapsed building that had housed displaced Palestinians and was heavily damaged during the war. These scenes highlight the toll on shelters and institutions that once served the community.

The "ceasefire" has changed the pace of the war but not its underlying dynamics. Large-scale offensives have stopped, and the heaviest bombardment has eased, yet regular strikes continue to kill civilians. For families living in tents, the threat of sudden violence remains a daily concern, and the promise of safety has not materialized.

The stalemate over disarmament and withdrawal has broader implications. Without a political agreement, reconstruction cannot begin in earnest, and the humanitarian situation is likely to worsen. Aid groups and residents alike face a future in which temporary shelters may become permanent, and the prospect of returning to normal life remains distant.

Three years into the war, Gaza's landscape is defined by tents and ruins. The images and accounts collected by Al Jazeera and the AP portray a society that has been uprooted, bereaved, and left without the means to rebuild. For now, the tent cities stand as both a shelter from the elements and a symbol of a crisis that shows few signs of resolution.

As the international community continues to debate next steps, the people of Gaza remain in a state of suspension. They no longer flee from place to place as they did during the heaviest fighting, but few can reconstruct their homes or envision a stable future. The coming months will determine whether the stalled agreement can be revived or whether the tent cities will remain the defining feature of Gaza for years to come.