Three Years of Conflict in Gaza: Economy, Education, Healthcare and Infrastructure in Ruins
Theo Al Jazeera English
Three years after the October 7, 2023 conflict began, Gaza's economy, education, healthcare and infrastructure have been devastated, with 94 percent of the population needing emergency aid and more than two million people confined to less than 30 percent of the territory. A ceasefire announced in October 2025 has not stopped the suffering, with 1,462 Palestinians killed since it took effect.
Three years after conflict erupted in Gaza, the Palestinian territory has been transformed almost beyond recognition. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 74,245 Palestinians have been killed, while most of the roughly two million residents have been displaced multiple times by evacuation orders and prolonged fighting.
Although a ceasefire was announced in October 2025, the suffering has not ended. The Gaza Ministry of Health says 1,462 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, while attacks and military operations continue across the Gaza Strip.
Daily life amid hardship
For Gazans, the conflict has not only changed where they live but upended the most basic routines of daily life. According to the United Nations, as of September, 94 percent of Gaza's population still needed emergency shelter and essential supplies, while 65 percent of households were living in tents or makeshift shelters lacking beds, mattresses, kitchen equipment and sanitation.
Clean water has also become a daily challenge: 91 percent of surveyed households faced moderate to high levels of water insecurity in early August, up from 84 percent in June. The electricity grid no longer functions, forcing households and essential services to rely on generators and increasingly scarce fuel. Damaged roads and communications networks make travel, contact and access to basic services even harder.
An exhausted economy
Gaza's economy has been severely devastated, with production and business facilities destroyed, leaving many families without income and sharply reducing purchasing power. According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, as of September, 92 percent of economic establishments in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed since October 2023, while unemployment reached 78 percent.
GDP per capita in 2025 stood at just 212 USD, roughly 17 percent of its 2022 level. Agriculture and industry are operating at only 6 percent of their 2022 output, while construction has fallen to 1 percent. Prices of basic goods remain about 200 percent higher than before October 2023. With jobs and income gone, economic activity has shifted to reliance on aid, debt and petty labor, while cash has become scarce, pushing many people to use e-wallets and digital payments.
Prolonged disruption to education
Education in Gaza has been severely affected, with nearly 98 percent of schools damaged or destroyed, according to UNICEF. As of April 2026, about 700,000 children aged 4 to 17 had lost nearly three consecutive years of in-person schooling. Many study in tents and temporary classrooms, while about 200,000 children have no access to education. The Palestinian Ministry of Education warns that the disruption is eroding basic skills and widening learning gaps, threatening the future of an entire generation.
Healthcare near collapse
Gaza's health system has been pushed to the brink of collapse, with all 36 hospitals damaged, only 19 still functioning and none operating at full capacity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The remaining facilities face severe shortages of medicines, medical equipment, diagnostic supplies and fuel, disrupting cancer treatment, dialysis and care for chronic patients.
Since October 2023, about 12,400 patients have been medically evacuated, but WHO says tens of thousands more still need specialized care unavailable inside the Gaza Strip. Overcrowding and a lack of shelter, clean water and sanitation are raising the risk of disease outbreaks, while the health system is unable to respond.
Shrinking space to live
Gaza's geography has changed as Israeli military control and access restrictions fragment the territory, pushing Palestinians into ever-smaller areas. According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, as of September, Israeli military control and access restrictions covered about 70 percent of Gaza, concentrating more than two million Palestinians in less than 30 percent of the strip.
Rafah is a clear example, having once sheltered more than a million people. In May 2024, Israel's military campaign in Rafah forced more than 800,000 people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. Today almost all of Rafah, except the western Mawasi Rafah area, is under Israeli control, leaving residents unable to return.
Weakened security and governance
Before the conflict, Hamas had governed Gaza since 2007, running the civil administration and security forces. The conflict has disrupted that system, severely weakening civilian authority. In July, Hamas announced it would hand administrative authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic body established under a post-war plan, but the transfer has not taken place.
The UN Human Rights Office recorded at least 12 attacks targeting police between January and May 2026, killing 53 people, including 35 police officers. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has also warned that attacks on police and security personnel have undermined the civilian protection system, contributing to a security vacuum, kidnappings, attacks on property and looting of humanitarian aid. Three years of conflict have left Gazans with a sense of uncertainty and an unclear future.
