Satellite images help researchers estimate the damage in Gaza after the attack of Hamas
On Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas attacked the Gaza envelope in Israel. Approximately 1,200 people died in that singular event, and at least 17,487 have been killed since the war broke out. Along with other weapons, bombs have destroyed the infrastructure in the surrounding area, but the precise scale is yet to be determined due to a lack of accurate information and access to satellite imagery.
The increasing difficulty in obtaining up-to-date high-resolution images stems from security concerns. Satellite image companies Planet Labs and Maxar Technologies, for example, have restricted the release of data from the Gaza Strip to avoid any data misuse or abuse. Currently, available images from Maxar Satellites depict an explosion, smoke, destroyed local buildings and more.
A recent article from Scientific American sheds light on the effort of two scientists, a Ph.D. candidate at the City University of New York Corey Scher and an associate professor of geography at Oregon State University Jamon Van Den Hoek, to study building damage in Gaza through radar scattering. Their project uses publicly open satellite radar data and has already reported its progress to journalists and the public. According to an interview with Scher and Van den Hoek, their analysis has revealed that around 50 percent of buildings in northern Gaza are likely damaged.
Amid limitations of satellite data, corporate and civilian efforts to deliver truthful information regarding the war to the media continue. Meanwhile, with Israel’s political response to Hamas’ attack and the involvement of other countries in the conflict, the tension has further escalated.