Nearly 40,000 buildings or about 18 per cent of all pre-conflict structures have been damaged or destroyed in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began on Oct. 7, a UN assessment has shown, Reuters reports.

The latest estimate, based on a Nov 26 image, was produced by the United Nations Satellite Centre, where analysts examine very high-resolution satellite images to find damaged buildings and publish maps that can guide relief work and rebuilding plans during natural disasters and conflicts.

Estimates such as this based on high-resolution satellite images might still underestimate the scale of destruction since they do not show all building damage — for example, a collapsed building with an intact roof can look undamaged.

“There has been a 49pc increase in the total number of damaged structures, highlighting the escalating impact of the conflict on civilian infrastructures,” UNOSAT said in a statement.