Lebanon: Satellite imagery reveals intensity of Israeli bombing

Israel's intensified bombing run of Lebanon has caused much harm to buildings successful 2 weeks than occurred during a twelvemonth of cross-border fighting pinch Hezbollah, according to satellite-based radar information assessed by nan BBC.

Data shows that much than 3,600 buildings successful Lebanon look to person been damaged aliases destroyed betwixt 2 and 14 October 2024. This represents astir 54% of nan full estimated harm since cross-border hostilities betwixt Israel and Hezbollah collapsed retired conscionable complete a twelvemonth ago.

The harm information was gathered by Corey Scher of City University of New York and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University. They compared radar outer images to uncover abrupt changes successful nan tallness aliases building of buildings which bespeak damage.

Wim Zwijnenburg, an biology master from nan Pax for Peace organisation, reviewed nan satellite-based radar information and warned of nan effect of Israel’s bombing.

“The Israeli subject run seems to beryllium creating a ‘dead zone’ successful nan southbound of Lebanon to thrust retired nan population, and making it difficult for Hezbollah to re-establish positions, astatine nan costs of nan civilian population,” he said.

Cross-border hostilities betwixt Israel and Hezbollah collapsed retired aft nan equipped Lebanese group started firing rockets successful and astir bluish Israel successful support of Palestinians connected 8 October 2023, nan time aft its state Hamas’s deadly onslaught connected confederate Israel.

Israel invaded confederate Lebanon successful a melodramatic escalation connected 30 September to destroy, it said, Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure successful “limited, localised, targeted raids”.

Satellite photos, radar imagery, and subject records show caller Israeli bombardment successful Lebanon has focused connected nan confederate separator region. It has besides expanded to cardinal and bluish areas, including nan Bekaa Valley and Beirut's confederate suburbs.

The Israeli service said it deed thousands of Hezbollah targets crossed Lebanon, including nan capital, Beirut.

Most of nan strikes connected Beirut person targeted Dahieh, a confederate suburb that is location to thousands of civilians. The Israeli subject claims nan area is location to Hezbollah’s bid headquarters.

A bid of Israeli strikes connected buildings successful nan area killed Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah connected 27 September.

Separate information from nan US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled), which has been analysed by nan BBC, indicates astatine slightest 2,700 attacks by nan Israeli subject connected Lebanese areas from 1 September until 11 October 2024. While these attacks chiefly attraction connected confederate separator areas, they person besides extended to bluish and cardinal regions.

Hezbollah has carried retired astir 540 attacks against Israel successful nan aforesaid timeframe, according to Acled. Each Hezbollah onslaught tin see a barrage of rockets, missiles and drones.

The Israeli subject says aerial strikes successful Lebanon are targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

It regularly adds it wants to guarantee nan safe return of tens of thousands of residents of Israeli separator areas displaced by attacks from nan Iran-backed group.

About 60,000 group person been evacuated from bluish Israel because of near-daily attacks by Hezbollah. But immoderate rockets person reached further southbound and damaged homes successful and astir nan coastal metropolis of Haifa.

On nan Lebanese side, galore Israeli aerial strikes targeted nan metropolis of Tyre, nan Bekaa Valley, and Beirut, according to nan BBC’s study of nan latest monthly information collected by Acled.

Lebanon's authorities says up to 1.3 cardinal group person been internally displaced, whilst Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned of nan "largest displacement” successful nan country's history.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been issuing removal orders to residents crossed nan country, including areas of Beirut.

In nan south, nan service instructed residents of respective villages to time off their homes and "immediately caput northbound of nan Awali River," which meets nan seashore astir 50 km (30 miles) from nan Israeli border.

“This is simply a humanitarian catastrophe,” Gabriel Karlsson, Middle East Manager astatine nan British Red Cross successful Beirut, told nan BBC.

He said location are insufficient shelters to accommodate truthful galore evacuees.

“I saw children sleeping successful nan streets,” Karlsson added, urging humanitarian organisations to coordinate their efforts to reside nan escalating crisis.

Lebanese officials opportunity astatine slightest 2,350 person been killed and complete 10,000 injured successful Israeli attacks. The Lebanon wellness curate said galore casualties were civilians.

On nan Israeli side, 60 group person been killed and much than 570 wounded by Hezbollah attacks, Israeli authorities say.

“Collateral harm is inevitable successful war”, Amos Yadlin, nan erstwhile caput of Israeli subject intelligence, told nan BBC.

The retired major-general blamed Hezbollah for nan warfare and claimed Israel’s crushed violative would unit nan group retired from nan separator areas.

Zwijnenburg, from nan Pax for Peace organisation, however, has warned of nan effect of Israel’s subject run connected civilians and nan populated areas.

“The dense blast radius kills and maims civilians nearby”, he said, successful reference to Israeli aerial strikes.

“Open-source information mixed pinch outer imagery besides showed that civilian infrastructure specified arsenic irrigation channels, state stations and energy grids were damaged, which is worsening nan humanitarian situation,” he added.

Additional reporting by Paul Cusiac and Maria Rashed