One thousand days into the war that began with the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, Palestinians across the Gaza Strip are marking the milestone not with ceremonies, but with the routines of survival.

In Gaza City, Khan Younis and the central camps, sprawling tent encampments have become semi-permanent neighborhoods. Families who once owned apartments or small houses now sleep under plastic sheeting near the port or on the edges of ruined streets, where concrete dust still hangs in the air after repeated strikes.

Residents say the conflict has hollowed out every part of civilian life. Parents describe children who have forgotten what a classroom looks like, who can name different types of drones more easily than school subjects. Teachers report that an entire generation is slipping into illiteracy as schools remain destroyed, occupied or used as shelters.

“Today, children stand in queues for water and at charity kitchens instead of queues at school,” said displaced teacher Doha al Atta. “Our children are suffering from ignorance, and they have no space where they could learn or a place where they can live safely.”

For many, the war is counted not in days but in losses. Shopkeeper Eyad al Khair says his home, business and several relatives were all wiped out in separate strikes. His young son survived but was left partially paralysed. “We used to plan for the future,” he said. “Now we only plan for the next hour.”

Hospitals, repeatedly damaged and chronically short of fuel, medicine and staff, remain under relentless strain. At Nasser Hospital, nurse Ahmed Hegazy said medical teams have worked through bombardments and blackouts. “Our work shifts during the 1,000 days, we worked 24/7 without going back home. We don’t see our families,” he said.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its campaign in response to the October 7 attack, which left about 1,200 people in Israel dead and more than 200 taken hostage. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run administration, reports that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed even since the latest ceasefire arrangement took effect, including hundreds of women and children. Israel disputes the figures but has not provided a comprehensive alternative toll.

With over 2 million people largely displaced and much of the territory in ruins, the future of Gaza remains uncertain. Israeli forces control large swaths of the enclave and officials have signalled an intention to maintain a long-term security presence. For residents like shop owner Mahmoud Ashour, the scale of destruction is measured in the distance between past and present. “We had everything before the war and now we’re just craving a bite to eat,” he said.

As the conflict grinds into its thousandth day, Palestinians in Gaza say they are trapped between the memory of what was and the fear that what remains is all there will ever be.