Israel-Hamas war: Startling before and after pictures show scale of Gaza destruction

Gaza has now faced nearly three weeks of unrelenting air strikes from Israel.

The bombardment began after more than 1,400 people in southern Israel were killed by gunmen from Hamas - the UK-proscribed terrorist organisation which runs Gaza - during its assault on 7 October.

Since then, the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry has said more than 7,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes, which have caused destruction to civilian neighbourhoods.

It comes amid diplomatic wranglings to get aid into Gaza following Israel's blockade on supplies. Some aid trucks have been allowed in from Egypt, but the UN - which has called for a ceasefire - said this has only provided "crumbs".

The following before and after satellite pictures, newly released by Maxar Technologies, show the scale of the damage caused to areas in the north of Gaza.

1. Beit Hanoun

This is a view, 11 days apart, of Beit Hanoun. The city is in the north-east of Gaza, close to the Israel border.

It was among the first places hit hard by the retaliatory strikes, with many roads and buildings destroyed and thousands of people displaced.

Father-of-four Yamen Hamad, 35, whose home in the city was destroyed in the strikes, said on 11 October: "I lived through all the wars and incursions in the past, but I have never witnessed anything worse than this war."

2. Beit Hanoun

This is a wider view of Beit Hanoun, and this time with the images taken five months apart.

The city's hospital stopped operations early in the conflict because of the intense bombardment of the area, something which is highlighted by the second image above.

3. Al-Karama

The al-Karama district is another neighbourhood in the north of Gaza which has suffered destruction.

Like Beit Hanoun, it was one of the first districts to be targeted. On 11 October, civilians were pictured trying to navigate piles of rubble, with many people carrying plastic bags filled with their belongings after seeing their homes destroyed.

4. Al-Atatra

The al-Atatra neighbourhood is in the northern city of Beit Lahia, also near the Israel border.

The stark before and after comparison demonstrates the extent of the damage caused by the strikes, with the second picture, taken on Saturday, showing the district filled with debris.

On Thursday, pictures showed smoke continuing to rise from Beit Lahia with further buildings demolished by air strikes.

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