News

For the past three weeks, Israel has been conducting airstrikes in the Gaza Strip as part of its conflict with Hamas. Conflicting reports on the extent of the damage caused by the airstrikes have emerged from both sides involved. However, satellite data collected by NASA’s Sentinel-1 satellite offers an unbiased view of the situation.

Every 12 days, the satellite scans the Gaza Strip, emitting radar waves and measuring their reflections. This data provides an estimate of the destruction by comparing pre-war signals to those collected recently. The map reveals the concentration of Gaza’s population in cities such as Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis.

By October 13th, a mere six days after the start of Hamas’ terrorist attacks in southern Israel, much of Gaza City had already been affected by the airstrikes. The satellite data suggests that within a week, 15% of buildings in northern Gaza and 2% in southern Gaza were damaged or destroyed. Israel subsequently issued an evacuation order for Gaza’s northern region, forcing 1.1 million residents to move southward to safer areas.

Since then, Israel has intensified its bombing campaign in southern Gaza. By October 25th, nearly half of the newly detected damage occurred in this area. While the overall level of destruction decreased across the Gaza Strip during the two-week period, it increased by 85% in southern Gaza. The Israeli Defence Forces did not provide immediate comment on the findings.

Many of the displaced residents from northern Gaza relocated to Khan Younis, the second most populous city in the Gaza Strip. Satellite data reveals that various neighborhoods in this city have also suffered damage. An uploaded Snapchat video from October 24th confirmed the destruction of buildings situated behind a school in Khan Younis.

Since Hamas’ attack on October 7th, the Gaza Strip has faced relentless airstrikes, leading to a significant loss of life. The Israeli government claims that more than 1,400 people were killed, and it accuses Hamas of holding over 200 people captive in the enclave. Five British citizens are reported missing.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, over 6,500 people have died in the airstrikes, with two-thirds of them being women and children. Satellite analysis indicates that approximately 25% of buildings in northern Gaza and 8% in the south have been damaged or destroyed over the past three weeks. The Rimal neighborhood in Gaza City has experienced significant devastation.

Sky News conducted its analysis of the satellite data using a method endorsed by NASA and developed by academics. Their conservative estimate considered an area as damaged only if the satellite records indicated at least a 30% decrease in surface smoothness across a sizeable area. It is worth noting that minor damage or damage to the sides of buildings might not have been captured by the analysis.

The Gaza Ministry of Public Works has reported that around 7% of housing units, equivalent to 27,781 homes, have been completely destroyed or rendered uninhabitable since October 7th.

The post Devastation in Gaza Strip Revealed Through Satellite Data appeared first on satProviders.