Independent satellite analysis indicates that more than 1,500 buildings in the Gaza Strip have been systematically destroyed in areas under Israeli control since the October 10 ceasefire agreement with Hamas, raising significant questions about compliance and the framework’s long-term viability. Imagery dated through early November 2025 reveals extensive clearance operations, with entire neighborhoods flattened in areas that were previously intact before the truce took effect.
The scale of the destruction—which analysts suggest is consistent with controlled demolition rather than incidental wartime damage—is most pronounced behind the Yellow Line. This provisional boundary marks the area from which Israeli forces agreed to withdraw under the terms of the October agreement, spanning the northern, southern, and eastern perimeters of Gaza.
Assessing the Extent of Clearance Operations
Using radar change-detection technology and manual verification, visual assessments pinpoint extensive clearance of residential structures and community amenities in several key areas. Notable clusters of demolition activity were identified in eastern Khan Younis, near Abasan al-Kabira, and close to al-Bayuk, east of Rafah. By comparing satellite images taken just before the ceasefire with those taken in early November, experts confirmed that many structures previously left standing were reduced to rubble within weeks.
The ongoing activity appears to be widespread, with additional evidence pointing to continued demolitions inside Gaza City, including regions like Shejaiya and areas surrounding the Indonesian Hospital near Jabalia.
Displaced residents interviewed in temporary encampments, such as those in al-Mawasi, have provided supporting testimony, describing the erasure of once-thriving homes and orchards and hearing the distinct sounds of demolitions near their temporary shelters.
The Ceasefire’s Contradiction
The current pattern of infrastructure reduction poses a direct challenge to the ceasefire framework, which was brokered with support from the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye. That agreement explicitly stipulates the suspension of all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment. Furthermore, the 20-point US plan, cited as the basis for the truce, declared “the war is over” and mandated that any necessary demilitarization, such as dismantling tunnels, occur under the supervision of independent monitors to ensure transparency.
Israeli officials assert that the demolitions are fully compliant with the agreement’s requirement to dismantle “terror infrastructure.” They argue that eliminating tunnels and associated facilities throughout Gaza is essential and maintain that activities conducted behind the Yellow Line—areas they still control—do not constitute a breach of the truce. Some proponents suggest these preparatory steps are necessary insurance should subsequent phases of the complex agreement fail.
Legal and Humanitarian Concerns
Despite official justifications, the large-scale and accelerated destruction of civilian property during a declared ceasefire has drawn warnings from legal and policy experts. They argue that such actions risk contravening both the spirit of the truce and prevailing international legal norms concerning territories under occupation.
The laws of war strictly prohibit an occupying power from destroying civilian property unless absolutely required by immediate military necessity or direct preparations for combat. Critics contend that the sheer speed and breadth of leveling intact residential dwellings and community assets during a period of declared peace is difficult to justify under standards of necessity or proportionality.
Should the widespread clearance operations continue at this pace, experts caution that it could severely undermine the stability and durability of the ceasefire, potentially escalating tensions and hindering the eventual return of displaced populations. Transparency and independent oversight of all clearance activities remain paramount to maintaining the integrity of the crucial peace agreement.