Satellite images, analyzed by Bellingcat, reveal the extensive damage inflicted on the city of Rafah, Gaza, following months of Israeli military operations. Residents forced to flee are desperately seeking updates on their homes, hoping for glimpses of their neighborhoods. One resident, from the Tel Sultan neighborhood west of Rafah, posted on X, pleading for images of their area to confirm the fate of their homes. Bellingcat’s investigation, tracking the Israeli incursion into Gaza for over ten months, highlights the widespread destruction. The report focuses on Tel Sultan, where only 224 buildings remain standing out of nearly 670, with most demolished between July and August. The Israeli military invaded Rafah to secure the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the ‘Philadelphia Corridor’. Satellite images reveal devastation extending beyond the corridor, reaching areas two kilometers from the border, like East Tel Sultan. The US President Joe Biden set a ‘red line’ for Israel, warning of limitations on military aid if Israeli forces entered populated areas like Tel Sultan. Further satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows the transformation of landscapes across Rafah and southern Gaza since May. Large areas of land, previously declared under Israeli ‘operational control,’ remain under military presence. Bellingcat’s analysis indicates that approximately 8,500 buildings were damaged or destroyed in a specific area of southern Gaza, with the actual number likely higher due to recent August imagery. The Israeli military claims the expansion of the Philadelphia Corridor, leading to further destruction of homes and much of Rafah, is necessary for improved infrastructure and vehicle travel safety. Satellite images, however, reveal the complete demolition of entire city blocks, including the Brazil Refugee Camp and Salam neighborhood.
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