Satellite Images Show Israel Erasing Southern Gaza as Netanyahu Seeks 70% Control
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 31
Satellite Images Show Israel Erasing Southern Gaza as Netanyahu Seeks 70% Control
1 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · May 31
Summary
February 25, 2026 satellite imagery added to Google Earth shows southern Gaza neighborhoods, cemeteries and the Rafah crossing replaced by Israeli military outposts, with major parts of Khan Younis and Rafah reduced to rubble.
The images align with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leaked directive to expand Israeli control from 60% of Gaza to 70%, despite an October ceasefire that analysts say required withdrawal from occupied areas.
Destruction spans key civilian sites: Euro-Med says 94% of Gaza’s cemeteries are fully or partly destroyed, UNICEF says more than 97% of schools are damaged or destroyed, and major universities have been levelled.
Food production has also collapsed, with the FAO reporting less than 5% of Gaza’s agricultural land remains usable while 1.9 million of 2.3 million Palestinians are internally displaced into dense coastal camps.
The imagery offers a physical record of a broader territorial and humanitarian transformation that UN-linked officials warn could harden into a permanent occupation.
With Gaza's landscape and memory systematically erased, is the world witnessing the permanent dismantling of the Palestinian enclave?
As a new war with Iran shakes the global economy, what is the ultimate strategic goal behind redrawing Gaza's map?
Israeli Control of 70% of Gaza in 2026: Political Motives, Legal Violations, and Humanitarian Crisis
Overview
The ongoing conflict in Gaza is driven by Israel's political motivations, with Prime Minister Netanyahu facing political challenges and directing the army to expand control to 70% of the territory. This expansion, from an initial 50% to 60% and now aiming for 70%, is justified by Israel as necessary to target senior Hamas leaders and disarm Hamas, a strategy favored by security hawks. Despite a nominal truce, violence continues, and recent Israeli operations have eliminated key Hamas figures. These actions have led to increased military control, widespread destruction, and a worsening humanitarian crisis for Gaza's civilian population.