With two thirds of the Strip's buildings damaged or destroyed, the U.N. estimates that the debris generated in 12 months of conflict amounts to 42 million tonnes.

Jerusalem

Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

Middle East Conflict

The Gaza Strip has undergone significant devastation due to a year of conflict following Hamas' attacks on Israeli communities. These events marked by Hamas attacking and kidnapping from Israeli communities are said to have resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the taking of nearly 250 hostages, according to Israeli records. Concurrently, estimates from the United Nations indicate over 41,700 lives have been lost in the course of Israel’s military operations aimed at dismantling Hamas. Images captured by the UN Satellite Center, UNOSAT, disclose that over two-thirds, approximately 163,778 of Gaza’s pre-war structures, have been damaged or destroyed.

In the city of Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second-most affected area, more than 19,000 buildings are reported damaged. Across Gaza, over 42 million tonnes of debris now accumulate, surpassing prior conflict-related destruction in the region, according to the UN. The rebuilding challenges are manifold, requiring extraordinary planning and resources, with projections citing a need for at least $1.2 billion and 14 years to eliminate the rubble if hostilities cease. Safety hazards, including potential asbestos contamination and the presence of unexploded ordnance as referenced by the Palestinian Health Ministry, amplify the complexity of reconstruction tasks.

Debris clearance is urgent but fraught with logistical constraints. Land designated for debris storage encompasses military zones, further complicating efforts. Additionally, Gaza faces a shortage of fuel and machinery, reportedly hampered by Israeli restrictions. Israel did not offer a direct response to these reports.



The challenges of rebuilding Gaza

The once-bustling streets of the Gaza Strip have been transformed into an eerie landscape of dusty craters, twisted wires and crumpled buildings. After a year of Israeli bombardment following Hamas' October 7 attacks, the densely populated enclave with a pre-war population of 2.3 million has been pulverized. Here in the southern city of Khan Yunis, more than 19,000 buildings have been damaged, data from the UN Satellite Center UNOSAT shows. It is the second worst-affected area. The first is northern Gaza. Jihad Shamali, who lost a child in March, has been displaced four times since Israel's offensive began. In any city in Gaza, you find rubble in the streets. Every street we enter, we find rubble. Gaza is not a war. Gaza had an earthquake worse than war. We've been through a grinder. Gaza's been through a grinder this year. The destruction we saw, we've never seen in all of history. The other thing, we get the rubble not to build houses, no, but for tombstones and graves, from one misery to another. Hamas attacked Israeli communities on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel says Hamas hides fighters among the general population in Gaza. The militant group denies this. Israel says it will strike Hamas wherever they emerge, while trying to reduce harm to civilians. Palestinian health authorities say more than 41,700 people have been killed since the start of Israel's military campaign. UNOSAT shows two-thirds of Gaza's pre-war structures have been damaged as Israel tries to eliminate Hamas. That's a total of 163,778 structures. Each block in this visualization represents a destroyed or damaged building. If placed all together, it would look something like this. More than three times as many buildings as those in the New York City borough of Manhattan. And the UN estimates that more than 42 million tons of debris are piled up in the strip. That's over 14 times the rubble accumulated in all the conflicts in Gaza since 2008, and enough to fill the Great Pyramid of Giza 11 times. As you can imagine, the challenges are huge. Alessandro Mrakech is from the United Nations Development Program, part of a group working with local authorities on a pilot project to clear debris. So this will require proper planning, very detailed planning, considering all the, not only the volume, but all the risks. It's going to be a massive operation, but at the same time, it's important that we start now because debris removal is a life-saving activity at this point. The UN estimates that it would take 14 years and at least $1.2 billion to safely dispose of the rubble if the war stopped now. But the scale of destruction is only one of the challenges. Conflict debris differs from normal, controlled construction and demolition waste, as it contains unrecovered bodies, in this case as many as 10,000, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, and unexploded bombs. And the dust produced can be contaminated with heavy metals from munitions and household or industrial chemicals. All pose huge health and safety risks. I can give you 100% assurance that people are being exposed to massive amounts of pollutants, metal contamination in water, in air, in food. Mojgan Sababieh-Sfahani is an environmental toxicologist who has worked extensively in Iraq. Those kinds of exposures will end up causing all kinds of DNA damage in mothers' reproductive cells, in fathers' reproductive cells. And that would culminate in a horrific rise in birth defects in children in Gaza. The contents of busted sewage pipes underneath the debris can contaminate water supplies and provide an environment for disease-transmitting insects or a home for snakes and scorpions. The rubble is also a good environment for sandflies, which can spread skin infections. The United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP, estimates that 2.3 million tonnes of the debris generated in this conflict could be contaminated with asbestos. It is mainly found in the older buildings and structures of Gaza's eight crowded refugee camps, some of which have been hit. With prolonged exposure, the asbestos fibres are inhaled and over time can cause diseases including lung, larynx and ovarian cancers and fibrosis of the lungs, according to the World Health Organization. Experts say asbestos-related diseases usually take 10 to 50 years to emerge. The path ahead is also littered with practical difficulties. UN experts say Gaza lacks the 1,300 acres of land needed to store all the rubble. And landfills are now in an Israeli military zone. Israel's military unit, Kogat, says they were in a restricted area, but access would be granted. Government officials report fuel and machinery shortages as Israeli restrictions slow clear-up efforts. Israel did not specifically comment on these allegations. The UNEP says it will need owners' permission to remove rubble, but the scale of the destruction has blurred property boundaries, and some property records have been lost in the war. Asked about the debris, Kogat said it aims to improve waste handling and will work with the United Nations to expand efforts. Several donors have expressed interest in rebuilding Gaza. But a UN official who asked to remain anonymous told Reuters that, quote, everyone is concerned whether to invest if there is no political solution in place.

Layoffs of federal workers begin as the government shutdown enters Day 10, OMB Director Russ Vought says. Some federal employees received notices Friday telling them they will be laid off in 60 days, CBS News has confirmed. Nancy Cordes has more.

Washington

Federal workers start receiving layoff notices amid shutdown

French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named Sebastien Lecornu as prime minister, reappointing him after he quit the job earlier this week.

Paris

Macron reappoints Lecornu as French PM days after he quit the job

Officials say a deadly explosion at a military explosives facility in Tennessee killed multiple people, and others remain missing. CBS News' Shanelle Kaul reports.

McEwen

Deadly explosion at military explosives facility in Tennessee

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the deployment of National Guard troops anywhere in the state of Illinois. CBS News' Ian Lee reports.

Chicago

Judge temporarily blocks National Guard deployment to Illinois

The Israeli military has begun withdrawing troops following a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The deal, brokered by the U.S. and Egypt, includes releasing hostages and a plan for Gaza's future governance.

Gaza ceasefire agreement has come into effect, Israeli military says

Venezuelan political opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Stockholm

María Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Egypt and Israel this weekend to attend the signing of the Gaza peace agreement, address Israel's parliament and witness the release of hostages.

Trump to visit Middle East for Gaza peace deal signing

New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of giving false statements. She called the charges baseless and politically motivated, accusing President Donald Trump of using the Justice Department for revenge.

New York

NY Attorney General Letitia James indicted on federal fraud charges

China dramatically expanded its rare earths export controls on Thursday (October 9), adding five new elements and extra scrutiny for semiconductor users as Beijing tightens control over the sector ahead of talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Beijing

China tightens rare earth export controls ahead of U.S. talks

A French court on Thursday (October 9) rejected the appeal of a former construction worker found guilty last year of the aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot, and increased his prison sentence by a year to 10 years, his lawyer said

Sentence increased for man convicted of raping Gisele Pelicot

At least two people have died in a powerful 7.4 earthquake that struck the south east coast of the Philippines on Friday (October 10). Authorities had initially issued evacuation warnings following tsunami threats; however, these have now been lifted.

Davao Oriental

Philippines hit by 7.4 magnitude earthquake, at least two dead

Peru’s Congress has voted to impeach President Dina Boluarte on grounds of moral incapacity, plunging the country into fresh political turmoil after months of unrest.

Quito

Peru's President Dina Boluarte impeached

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his government has approved a plan to release all remaining hostages in Gaza. The move is part of President Trump’s peace plan and could bring an end to the two-year conflict in the region.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israeli government approves framework to release hostages

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted by a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia. She faces two separate charges, one count of bank fraud and one count of false statements to a financial institution.

Alexandria

Federal grand jury indicts New York AG Letitia James

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.

Trump says Israel hostages to be freed early next week

The U.S. Senate held its seventh round of votes Thursday on Democratic and Republican plans to fund and reopen the government, but once again the bills failed to pass.

Senate votes to reopen government fail again on 9th day of shutdown

The chemistry award is the third 2025 Nobel Prize to be announced this week. Three U.S. scientists won the award in chemistry for creating a new molecular structure.

U.S. scientist trio win Nobel Prize in chemistry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of wanting to sow "chaos" in Ukraine by launching strikes on his country's energy grid and railway infrastructure, in comments published Thursday.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy says Russia aims to sow 'chaos' with energy strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday (October 8) that Hamas has agreed to release hostages and Israel will pull back its troops in Gaza in the "first phase" of a peace deal. CBS News' Debora Patta reports.

Israel and Hamas agree to phase one of peace deal

Russia and China are sending high-level representatives to North Korea for celebrations honoring 80 years of the ruling party. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Pyongyang

Russia, China send representatives to North Korea

The Toronto Blue Jays won Game 4 of their American League Division Series matchup against the New York Yankees to advance to the next round of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

Blue Jays defeat Yankees to advance to ALCS

The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has led to major delays and staffing shortages at airports, raising safety concerns. The flight attendants’ union says reduced oversight and overworked crews are putting additional strain on the aviation system.

Aviation less safe during any government shutdown, union warns

Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said one of the reasons for staffing shortages at airports is that a growing number of air traffic controllers have been calling in sick. Those controllers don't know when they'll get their next paycheck amid the government shutdown.

Los Angeles International Airport

Why the government shutdown is playing into travel delays

President Trump says he might travel to the Middle East as soon as this weekend as Israel and Hamas continue indirect negotiations to end the war in Gaza. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has the details.

Cairo

Trump 'may' go to Egypt or Gaza amid Israel-Hamas peace

A 29-year-old Florida man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the deadly Palisades Fire that scorched parts of Los Angeles earlier this year, officials said Wednesday.

Los Angeles

Man arrested for allegedly starting Palisades Fire in California

Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to two counts in federal court on Wednesday (October 8) after being indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in September.

James Comey pleads not guilty to charges brought by Trump's DOJ

Some air traffic control staffing issues and bad weather are affecting flight delays as the government shutdown enters its eighth day. CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave has more details.

Government shutdown, staffing issues lead to flight delays

Hamas’ lead negotiator says the group needs guarantees of a lasting peace as indirect talks with Israel to reach an agreement over the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza enter the third day.

Sharm El-Sheikh

Hamas says it is ready to reach Gaza deal but needs 'real' guarantees

Sebastien Lecornu to hold two days of talks to try to shore up cross-party support for his collapsed government.

Outgoing French PM launches last bid to quell political crisis

Israel is pressing forward with its attacks across the Gaza Strip. 
Its forces have targeted displaced families in Khan Younis, killing a mother and her children. Several Palestinians have also been killed in a strike on Al Shati refugee camp, in Gaza City.

See The Full Story

Middle East Conflict