Satellite imagery documents large-scale demolition of Gaza towns three years into Israel's military campaign
Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC show that Israeli forces have razed large parts of Gaza, including most of the city of Rafah, since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people and triggered the war. Demolition using bulldozers and explosives has continued since a ceasefire deal was reached approximately one year ago, with Israel now controlling just over 60% of the territory. Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians are compressed into the remaining 40%, most living in tent settlements.
Single source · Not corroborated
Satellite imagery captured by Planet Labs PBC documents the systematic demolition of multiple Gaza cities and neighborhoods, with Rafah — once home to a quarter million people — described by AP as having been erased. The imagery, reported by the Associated Press on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, shows the demolition has proceeded continuously, including after the ceasefire agreement reached approximately one year ago.
The Israeli military states it demolishes buildings to prevent their use by Hamas militants and to destroy the group's tunnel networks. Israel holds just over 60% of the territory and, according to the satellite images, has built at least 50 military outposts within those areas, at least 18 of them constructed since the ceasefire began — many placed atop former neighborhoods where rubble has been cleared away.
A United Nations-appointed expert wrote in a February report that the scale of destruction of civilian housing and infrastructure in Gaza "is unprecedented even by the terrible standards of modern warfare since the 20th century," and warned it could constitute a crime against humanity or reach the level of genocide under international law. Israel rejects accusations of genocide, stating it targets Hamas militants and their infrastructure, which it says are embedded within civilian areas.