Israels expansion in Gaza leads to satellite image anomalies
May 31, 2026 • Al Jazeera
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Recent satellite imagery has been updated to reflect significant changes in the Gaza enclave. The images, captured on February 25, 2026, show widespread destruction of cities, agriculture, and cemeteries across the area.
According to recent data, nearly 73,000 people have lost their lives due to ongoing conflict in Gaza. Satellite imagery confirms that major residential centers have been largely destroyed, altering the geography of the Strip beyond recognition.
The images also reveal that Israeli forces have fully or partially destroyed 94 percent of Gaza’s cemeteries, transforming places of memory into military barracks. The destruction has rendered neighborhoods indistinguishable from others in Rafah and other areas.
In Tal as-Sultan, a 752-unit housing project known as the Saudi neighborhood has been flattened into vast mounds of rubble. The village, which was founded in 1965 with international assistance to shelter Palestinian refugees, has been transformed into an Israeli military outpost.
The Swedish village in Rafah, which previously housed around 1,300 people, has also been systematically wiped from the map. The village’s economic lifeblood was tied to the Mediterranean Sea, and its residents relied on fishing for their livelihood.
The Rafah border crossing, which previously served as a lifeline connecting the besieged population to the outside world, has been gutted. Its civilian infrastructure has been replaced by heavily fortified Israeli military observation posts and razor wire.
In Khan Younis, the Sheikh Mohammed cemetery in the Maan area has been removed from the map, replaced by an Israeli military outpost. The destruction of cemeteries and residential areas has left many Palestinians without a place to visit their loved ones or perform traditional rituals.
The updated satellite imagery provides a devastating view of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, highlighting the widespread destruction and displacement of civilians.
Source: Al Jazeera