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Systematic Erasure of Life in Lebanese Border Villages.. Satellite Images Reveal
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The systematic destruction of border villages reveals an Israeli strategy that goes beyond military objectives to erasing civilian life features
Satellite images documented by Planet Labs for Reuters revealed the massive destruction that has affected more than 12 border towns and villages in southern Lebanon, which Israeli military operations have turned into gray craters.
Meis al-Jabal Mayor Abdul Moneim Shuqair highlighted the scale of devastation, saying: "There are beautiful old houses hundreds of years old. Thousands of artillery shells and hundreds of airstrikes hit the town," wondering: "Who knows what will remain standing in the end?"
The Lebanese Disaster Risk Management Unit counted 3,809 Israeli attacks on 14 towns during the past year, while Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari acknowledged targeting more than 3,200 sites in southern Lebanon.
Comparison of satellite images between 2023 and 2024 shows the transformation of entire residential areas into sandy patches, as happened in Kafr Kila and Meis al-Jabal, where an area of 150×400 meters was destroyed.
The targeting of cultural landmarks was highlighted in the story of the late artist Abdul Hamid Baalbaki's house in Adaisseh, which he had converted into a cultural center before his death. His son Lebanon Baalbaki stated: "We are a family of artists, my father is well-known and our house is known to be a cultural house," adding: "The goal is to erase any sign of life."
Israeli attacks have caused the displacement of about 1.2 million Lebanese, according to government statistics, while more than 2,600 people have been killed, most of them during the past month.
Levant-Agencies
