The New York Times
Satellite images taken on the morning of October 30 show the significant scale of one of the Israeli army’s largest advances into the Gaza Strip.
On that day — about three weeks after Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, which left nearly 1,400 people dead and prompted the Jewish state to declare war on the terror group — hundreds of armored military vehicles marched for miles from Tel Aviv the border towards the city in front of areas on the outskirts of Gaza City.
The images, captured by Planet Labs, a commercial satellite company, show a significant invasion force, with groups of dozens of armored vehicles crossing open fields and gathering in urban spaces.
They provide the clearest picture yet of how far one of Israel’s main invasion lines has advanced into the Gaza Strip and the destruction it has wrought. Previously released videos by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) showed rows of tanks operating near the border area.
In the photos, Israeli vehicles can be seen as far away as the Al Karama neighborhood north of Gaza City. Buildings near the captured areas appear to have been severely damaged or destroyed by airstrikes. Hundreds of craters created by bombing raids can also be seen.
The area photographed by the satellites is one of three areas that Israeli tanks passed through on their way toward Gaza City, the territory’s largest city. Rows of armored vehicles were seen on the main road that crosses Gaza from north to south, as well as in the northeastern corner of the strip, in Beit Hanoun.
The destroyed farmland was used to collect armor. Tank tracks provide an indication of how vehicles move through the region. Further south, the images show a series of destroyed buildings, craters and military vehicles.
Since the recordings were made, Israel has intensified its ground operations in Palestinian territory. On Thursday (2) the IDF declared that it had completed the siege of the Gaza Strip, and last Sunday (5) the army declared that the ground attack had managed to divide the area in two under bombardment. “Significant.”
According to the local health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, around 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began a month ago.