Gulsen Topcu, Hosni Nedim and Asiye Latife Yilmaz
March 25, 2025•Update: March 25, 2025
GAZA/ISTANBUL
Israel has systematically altered the demographic composition of Gaza through genocide since Oct. 7, 2023, and the changes will cause lasting imbalances in the population, experts say.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 113,400 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.
According to the Health Ministry’s data, Israel has carried out 11,850 attacks on Palestinian families. These assaults have completely wiped out 2,165 families, killed 9,272 people from 5,064 families, left 365,000 homes uninhabitable, including 165,000 destroyed and 200,000 damaged, and displaced 2 million Palestinians.
Palestinian officials say these figures indicate that Israel is attempting to alter Gaza's social and demographic structure.
Elements disrupting population dynamics
The director of the Gaza Government Media Office, Ismail al-Sevabite, spoke with Anadolu about the permanent and long-term changes to Gaza’s population structure caused by the war.
Al-Sevabite said that since the war began, two million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced multiple times within Gaza, with severe consequences particularly for vulnerable segments of society, including women, children, and the elderly.
He pointed out that Israeli attacks have left 39,384 children orphaned or without one parent, and 14,323 women widowed. He added that the destruction of families will cause lasting population imbalances with long-term effects.
Al-Sevabite highlighted that the increase in the number of orphans, widows, and the loss of breadwinners, along with the destruction of over 165,000 homes and the mass displacement of people, has led to the breakdown of social structures, increased social burdens, the collapse of an already broken economy, and a rise in unemployment and poverty.
Life in Gaza is being destroyed
Gaza now looks different from its pre-war population map. While some areas have seen increased population density, others are completely deserted. This has placed additional pressure on essential services like water, sanitation, and waste collection, leading to 360,000 tons of waste piling up on the streets.
The large-scale destruction of roads, water, sewage, electricity, and communication networks has caused the collapse of the health and ecological systems, creating a breeding ground for epidemics and environmental crises.
Al-Sevabite stressed that the destruction goes beyond buildings, affecting lives and forcing displacement. He said the damage not only causes demographic changes but also undermines Palestinian society’s identity and social foundations.
Palestinians are forcibly displaced
Political analyst and writer Mustafa Ibrahim stated that Israel seeks long-term demographic change by forcing Palestinians to migrate and minimizing their presence in Gaza.
Ibrahim argued the migration is not temporary but aimed at altering Gaza's demographic composition for political purposes, pointing to Israel’s concerns over the Palestinian population surpassing seven million in the occupied territories.
He stated that the growth of the Palestinian population challenges Israel's demographic goals, prompting the Tel Aviv administration to control more land and implement displacement policies spanning back to 1948.
Ibrahim added that Israel is trying to achieve this by making the daily life of Palestinians a living hell, creating crises and forcing them to seek alternatives.
Political analyst Iyad al-Kara noted that Israel's radical right is beginning to implement policies aimed at making Palestinian migration a reality. He said that forced displacement is a pressure tactic Israel is using against Gaza’s resistance, which has become a strategic threat since the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.
He emphasized that an immediate ceasefire, the opening of borders, the entry of aid, and the reconstruction of Gaza are not just desires but humanitarian necessities to save lives and strengthen the resolve against Israel's displacement policies.
