Israeli army chief Peter Lerner told Sky News that around 20,000 Hamas fighters had been killed. In August, the army estimated that 17,000 Hamas fighters had been killed.

On the other hand, the Gaza Strip has been devastated by Israeli attacks since 7 October. Where houses, mosques, schools and shops once stood, there is now about 42 million tonnes of rubble.

According to UNOSAT's damage assessment, based on images taken on 3 and 6 September, 163,778 structures in the Gaza Strip, or 66% of the total, were damaged. Of these, 78 percent were either completely destroyed or severely or moderately damaged.

In April, when the damage was not yet this extensive, the UN estimated that it would take 14 years to remove the accumulated debris.