Hollywood actress and former UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie has highlighted the scale of destruction caused by Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. By displaying side-by-side satellite images from Google Earth—taken before and after the war—she illustrated how area after area has been reduced to rubble.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Jolie wrote that one can now see the reality of what has happened in Gaza simply by opening Google Earth. The post compares pre-war images with satellite photos taken during the summer of this year.
The images show the vicinity of Al-Qadisiyah School in the southern city of Rafah, Khan Younis, and Omar Al-Mukhtar Street in Gaza City. Vast areas that were once densely populated and vibrant are now depicted as heaps of rubble and ruined structures.
Jolie stated that neighborhood after neighborhood has been reduced to ruins. Homes, schools, universities, hospitals, roads, water and sanitation systems, and other infrastructure have been damaged or completely destroyed.
Citing data from UN satellite analysis, she noted that approximately 82 percent of structures in Gaza had sustained some form of damage by June of this year. The analysis revealed that nearly two-thirds of these damaged structures were completely destroyed.
Escalating Humanitarian Crisis
Alongside the physical destruction, Jolie highlighted the dire humanitarian crisis facing the people of Gaza. She noted that 1.98 million people—about 94 percent of the total population—rely on aid for shelter and essential supplies. The situation threatens to worsen as winter approaches. According to Jolie, the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential supplies to Gaza continues to face various restrictions and delays. She stated that while satellite imagery reveals the extent of the devastation in Gaza, it cannot fully capture the human cost. No image can convey what life is like for those surviving amidst the ruins or the fate of the families who lost loved ones.
Jolie called for the urgent delivery of shelter, humanitarian aid, and medical supplies to Gaza’s civilians. She also emphasized the importance of enabling Palestinians to rebuild their homes, schools, hospitals, and communities. She noted that the destruction is visible to all and the people’s needs are well known; the crucial question now is whether those needs will be met.
A two-time Oscar winner, Jolie served as a Goodwill Ambassador and later as a Special Envoy for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) for over two decades, from 2001 to 2022.
According to Palestinian sources, Israel’s war and attacks on Gaza since October 2023 have resulted in the deaths of more than 74,000 Palestinians and left over 175,000 injured. These sources also claim that approximately 90 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged during this period.
Source: Anadolu Agency
