Watan-New satellite images have revealed the extent of destruction inflicted upon the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip following the attack launched by the Israeli occupation army since last December.
Captured between December 1 and February 29 by the “Sentinel Hub” satellite, the images showed entire neighborhoods demolished in the heart of Khan Yunis and the Bani Suhaila area to the east.
The images also depicted smoke rising on December 11 from the east of Salah al-Din Street, where fierce battles between Palestinian resistance factions and Israeli occupation forces were taking place.
Images taken after mid-December revealed signs of streets and lands being excavated by Israeli occupation bulldozers north of the Bani Suhaila area and north of Khan Yunis city.
#جيوبوست | أظهرت صور أقمار صناعية جديدة حجم الدمار الذي حل بمدينة خان يونس بعد الهجوم الذي شنه الاحتلال الإسرائيلي منذ ديسمبر الماضي.
✔️الصور المُلتقطة في الفترة بين 1 ديسمبر و29 فبراير بواسطة القمر الصناعي “Sentinel Hub”، أظهرت أحياء هُدمت بالكامل في قلب مدينة خان يونس ومنطقة… pic.twitter.com/4ergBT8VAL
— EekadFacts | إيكاد (@EekadFacts) March 3, 2024
Furthermore, the images showed residential areas in Bani Suhaila and Khan Yunis turning into light gray due to buildings being reduced to rubble by Israeli airstrikes.
It’s noteworthy that following the collapse of the ceasefire early December, Israel expanded its ground offensive in the southern half of the Gaza Strip by invading the main city of Khan Yunis.
At that time, Israeli military vehicles penetrated Khan Yunis in the south of Gaza Strip, starting from the eastern border area in the Qarara region northeast of Khan Yunis towards Salah al-Din Street.
Military operation following a major ambush
After the ambush carried out by the resistance in Khan Yunis, described in Israel as a “scandal,” resulting in the killing of three Israeli soldiers, the latter initiated a military operation in the city of Hamad north of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza Strip. This came after it besieged the city with tanks and bombarded its surroundings for several hours by air and land, using incendiary belts.
The Israeli occupation army launched threats through loudspeakers carried by drones to force the residents of Hamad city to evacuate to areas claimed to be “safe,” in Mawasi and Deir al-Balah, while its tanks were stationed on hills opposite residential buildings after setting up earth barriers in the area.
The threat message stated: “To all residents in the residential area of Hamad city, you are in a dangerous combat zone, the occupation army is operating in your residential area.”
Dozens of citizens, mostly women and children, were seen gathering below their homes preparing to evacuate, with some packing their belongings onto cars and carts, while Israeli occupation tanks advanced towards them. Occasionally, the sound of shelling and gunfire could be heard.