Satellite photos reveal degree of devastation in Gaza after 2 years of battle

LONDON– Because Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist assault versus Israel and Israel’s army reaction in Gaza, an ABC Think piece of loads of satellite photos from the last 2 years reveals the substantial devastation throughout virtually every location of Gaza.

The photos reveal whole communities and communities have actually been ruined in Gaza, together with essential facilities like institutions, healthcare facilities and spiritual structures.

As numerous as 197,000 structures have actually been harmed or ruined throughout the battle, according to quotes in a damages evaluation shown ABC Information of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite information by Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State College’s Dispute Ecology laboratory.

Israeli Head Of State Benjamin Netanyahu resolved the degree of the devastation in an Aug. 10 interview with the international press.

” The physical devastation is not since Israel is damaging frameworks with individuals therein. That’s not what’s taking place,” he stated.

Netanyahu stated in the exact same interview that Israel waits till private citizens leave, yet that Hamas operatives stay “in nearly each and every single structure,” compeling Israeli pressures to detonate “old APC armored employees providers with lots of dynamites” in roads. He additionally stated Hamas operatives “triggered all the booby catches,” when soldiers get in, “so the structures collapse. That’s why you see devastation.”

Whole community gone: Umm al-Nasser and Al-Mughraqa

2 communities in Gaza have actually been entirely leveled. Satellite photos reveal there are no structures left standing in Umm al-Nasser and Al-Mughraqa. Every framework in these communities has actually been ruined, the photos reveal.

Umm al-Nasser is a Bedouin community in the much north of Gaza. Prior to the battle it was home to simply shy of 5,000 individuals. An ABC Think piece of satellite photos reveals it was squashed by the Israel Protection Forces in between March 29 and March 31, 2025.

In reaction to ABC Information’ queries concerning the devastation, the IDF stated the task remained in conformity with worldwide legislation and was done to stop “offending terrorist tasks.”

” The town homeowners are spread in a number of areas in western Gaza City, while others have actually relocated to the southerly Gaza Strip,” a public relationships supervisor for the community informed ABC Information.

Huge components of Al Mughraqa, a community of approximately 11,500 residents in between Gaza City and Central Gaza, was ruined mainly in between April and August 2024, according to satellite photos. Throughout that time, Israel was in control of the location, which it calls the Netzarim passage.

Obstructs squashed in Jabalia and Rafah

In a number of locations that Israeli pressures have actually managed for prolonged time periods, consisting of Rafah, north Gaza, and Khan Younis, structures along whole blocks of cities have actually been taken down completely.

In Tal Al Sultan, the community in western Rafah, satellite photos show virtually every structure on every block has actually been ruined. Typically the only structures left standing are institutions.

A comparable scene shows up in pictures of Jabalia, the city in north Gaza, where Israeli pressures have actually carried out many ground procedures throughout the battle.

Regardless of the near-total mess up, the periodic outdoor tents can still be identified amongst the debris, established by individuals that had actually returned north throughout the last ceasefire to locate their homes ruined, satellite photos checked out by ABC Information program.

Mass variation: Al Mawasi

The adjustment in landscape from the mass variation of countless individuals is starkly noticeable in satellite photos.

In Al Mawasi, miles of areas have actually been become confined camps of hundreds of camping tents. This is the location that Israel has actually marked as a “altruistic location” where individuals are guided to relocate to stay clear of battle zone.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN firm for Palestinian evacuees, UNRWA, stated in August that solutions in the location are not sufficient: “Numerous hundreds of Palestinians displaced to Al Mawasi have little or no accessibility to crucial solutions and products, consisting of food, water, electrical energy and camping tents,” he stated in a UNRWA declaration.

Further north in Al Mawasi, simply west of Khan Younis, the hundreds of camping tents serpent their means up the coastline, taking control of any kind of inch of offered area, developing a form of a brand-new city amongst the canvas, according to satellite photos checked out by ABC Information.

Schools ruined Rafah and Khan Younis

An ABC Information aesthetic evaluation of satellite images and 200+ validated social media sites video clips reveals that 88% of Gaza’s institutions are ruined or harmed. At the very least 58%, or 318 institution structures, go to the very least partly ruined.

In a declaration to ABC Information concerning the devastation of institutions in Gaza, the IDF stated, “There is no IDF plan to target institutions or instructors. Instead, Hamas’ extensive and well-documented technique of manipulating institutions and academic centers for horror tasks, has actually needed IDF task in those locations.”

The Al-Firdaws Grade school, west of Rafah, enlightened 488 trainees prior to the battle, according to UNICEF information. Up until springtime 2024, satellite photos reveal it protected numerous displaced individuals.

After the IDF took control of the location in the springtime of 2024, satellite photos reveal the institution was ruined and, over this summertime, the debris was removed to give way for the structure of a help circulation website for the questionable American-backed Gaza Good samaritan Structure.

In Khan Younis, 5 institutions in a facility, which enlightened an overall of 6,915 trainees, according to UNICEF, were ruined in August of this year, satellite photos reveal.

In a video clip launched by the IDF, one more 4 institutions approximately 2 miles north of these were extracted and ruined, additionally in August. In the video clip of the devastation of those institutions, the IDF describes them as “terrorist facilities,” and states their pressures were running versus such facilities in the location of Khan Younis.

ABC Information’ Kerem Inal and Diaa Ostaz added to this record