LONDON: Israel has destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in Gaza since a ceasefire agreement with Hamas took effect on Oct. 10, according to an investigation by BBC Verify that analyzed recent satellite imagery.
The analysis, released on Wednesday, focused on areas under Israeli control behind the so-called “Yellow Line,” a boundary established in terms of the ceasefire.
Visual evidence showed entire neighborhoods were flattened within weeks, including homes that appeared undamaged before demolition began.
Images from Khan Younis and Rafah showed orchards, gardens, and residential structures erased.
The BBC said it “used a change detection algorithm to analyse radar images taken before and after the ceasefire to highlight changes, which might indicate destruction, then manually counted visibly destroyed buildings.”
It also noted the actual number could be much higher, as satellite imagery was unavailable for some areas.
The demolitions, which BBC Verify said appear to have been deliberate and widespread, have raised questions among legal and regional experts over whether Israel is violating the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire, a deal supported by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye.
The agreement explicitly called for a suspension of “all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment.”
However, Israel maintains its actions are in line with the deal. The Israel Defense Forces stated that it is dismantling “terror infrastructure, including tunnels,” as required by the agreement.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has said demilitarizing Gaza is a central goal, and pointed to language in the peace plan that allows for the destruction of militant infrastructure.
Former Israeli officials argued that operations behind the Yellow Line do not violate the ceasefire, since those zones remain under the control of the Israeli army. Verified footage of demolitions has been geolocated to those areas.
