- ARAB NEWS
- 16 Oct 2024
Since 1975
Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 caused widespread devastation, high death tolls and mass starvation. The recent events are leading many to draw comparisons between the aftermath horrors of the 1945 US atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the ongoing destruction happening in Gaza.
According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Israel has dropped more than 25,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, which is the equivalent of two nuclear bombs.
In comparison, the Little Boy nuclear bomb dropped by the US on Hiroshima during World War II yielded 15,000 tons of high explosives and destroyed everything within a 1.6 km radius.
Hiroshima has an approximate area of 907 square kilometers, while Gaza has an area of 363 square kilometers.
In terms of death tolls and injuries, Gaza as of Nov. 10 faces a total of 10,812 deaths and at least 25,000 injuries. There are also at least 2,300 people still stuck under the rubble. In 1945, Hiroshima had a total death toll of 66,000 and at least 69,000 injuries.
Humans are not the only obvious casualties when it comes to war, as infrastructure is highly impacted. In Hiroshima, over 60,000 of 90,000 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged by the atomic bomb, which is over 67% of the city’s structures.
According to the Head of Gaza government’s media office, Salama Marouf, Israeli attacks have resulted in over 200,000 damaged buildings, with 32,500 of them rendered uninhabitable.
The number of destroyed buildings included 85 government buildings, 47 mosques, three churches, 203 schools with sustained major damage, and 45 schools now completely non-operational.
Below is a quick look at the numbers:
Hiroshima – 1945
Gaza – (As of Nov. 10) 2023
