Angelina Jolie shares satellite images of Gaza destruction, calls for urgent aid

Angelina Jolie has drawn renewed attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, sharing before-and-after satellite images of the territory and calling for urgent assistance as winter approaches.

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The Oscar-winning actress posted the images on Instagram, directing followers to Google Earth to see the extent of the destruction. The comparisons include areas around Al-Qadisiyah School in Rafah, Khan Younis and Omar Mukhtar Street in Gaza City, where densely populated neighbourhoods have suffered extensive damage.

Jolie said the satellite imagery showed entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble, with homes, schools, universities, hospitals, roads, water and sanitation networks and other essential infrastructure damaged or destroyed.

She also cited analysis by the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), which found that 82 per cent of structures in Gaza had sustained damage as of June 16, 2026. The assessment recorded 201,290 affected structures, including 134,422 classified as destroyed.

However, Jolie stressed that satellite images cannot fully convey the human consequences of the destruction. She said the imagery could not show what it means for people to live among the ruins, the loss experienced by families who have lost loved ones or the daily reality of those who survived.

The actress also highlighted the worsening shelter crisis ahead of winter. According to figures cited in her post, 1.98 million people, or 94 per cent of Gaza’s population, require shelter assistance and essential items. She added that humanitarian aid and shelter materials continue to face restrictions and delays.

Jolie called for civilians to receive adequate shelter before winter, for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza at the necessary scale and for hospitals to receive medical supplies. She also urged the creation of conditions that would allow people to rebuild homes, schools, hospitals and communities.

“The destruction is visible. The needs are known,” Jolie wrote, stressing that the key question was whether those needs would be met.

Jolie, who served as a UN Goodwill Ambassador and later Special Envoy for UNHCR from 2001 to 2022, has previously used her public platform to highlight the humanitarian situation facing Palestinians. In January, she visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and met humanitarian workers involved in efforts to deliver assistance to Gaza.

Her latest post comes as humanitarian agencies continue to face major challenges over shelter, medical supplies and essential infrastructure in Gaza, putting renewed focus on the needs of civilians ahead of another winter.