Satellite images show extent of Gaza damage

 

Satellite images show extent of Gaza damage

Before Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary ceasefire, the depth of the devastation in northern Gaza is seen in newly acquired satellite photographs obtained by the BBC.

After several weeks of Israeli airstrikes and ground combat, the satellite photos were captured last Thursday, right before the cease-fire. An overview of the devastation throughout Gaza is also possible through the examination of separate satellite data.

Satellite data maps damage in northern Gaza

Verified and drone footage additionally depict buildings and entire neighborhoods completely demolished. Although much of the damage has been concentrated in the northern part of Gaza due to the Israeli ground offensive, the entire strip has sustained extensive damage.

According to Israel, Hamas, the organization responsible for the murderous strikes on Israel on October 7, has its "centre of gravity" in northern Gaza, which contains the large metropolitan center of Gaza City. Israel claims that its air campaign has effectively targeted Hamas fighters and commanders, and the organization is accused of infiltrating civilian areas.

According to satellite data analysis, damage to about 98,000 buildings may have occurred throughout the Gaza Strip, with the majority of the damage being focused in the north, as seen in the map above.

Corey Scher of the City University of New York Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University conducted the data analysis. It is predicated on comparing two distinct photographs, which show variations in the height or architecture of buildings that may indicate damage.

We have examined satellite images from a number of severely damaged locations.

North-eastern areas hit by first air strikes

Following Hamas' attacks on October 7, the northern and northeastern cities of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip were among the first to be hit by airstrikes. The region is a Hamas hideout, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Some of Beit Lahia, which overlooked sand dunes and olive trees that stretched to Israel's border, have been leveled. The region in the northeast of Beit Lahia depicted in the satellite image below is where a sizable block of buildings has since been destroyed.

The Israeli military has cleared terrain and established defensive positions in the nearby fields, and bulldozers seem to have cleared paths through the debris.

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