Satellite Images Reveal Widespread Destruction in Southern Gaza as Israel Expands Control

What happened

Al Jazeera Gaza reports recent satellite images reveal vast areas of southern Gaza, including entire neighborhoods and cemeteries, erased as Israeli military forces expand their control, following orders from Prime Minister Netanyahu to occupy around 70 percent of the territory.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure or battlefield claim should be read as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source. The imagery shows locations such as Khan Younis, where the Sheikh Mohammed cemetery has been replaced by an Israeli outpost, and Rafah, where densely populated neighborhoods like the Saudi district in Tal as-Sultan and the Swedish village have been bulldozed or converted into military zones. This deliberate and extensive transformation is forcing survivors into overcrowded camps and shelters along the Mediterranean coast.

The destruction includes civilian housing, with examples like Hamad City—a Qatari-funded complex once housing over 15,000 low-income families—now reduced to rubble. Educational institutions have also been targeted: the Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University, and Al-Israa University campuses have been razed or repurposed as displacement shelters, affecting more than 658,000 children who have had no formal education for over two years, UNICEF notes.

Known from the source

• Satellite images from February 25, 2026, show large-scale destruction in southern Gaza.
• Khan Younis’s Sheikh Mohammed cemetery has been replaced by an Israeli military outpost.
• Neighborhoods in Rafah, including Tal as-Sultan and the Swedish village, have been flattened or converted into military zones.
• Hamad City residential complex in Khan Younis is now rubble; it housed over 15,000 people before destruction.
• UNICEF states over 97% of schools in Gaza are damaged or destroyed, with 658,000 children deprived of formal education for more than two years.

What remains unclear

Al Jazeera cites human rights monitoring groups reporting that 94 percent of Gaza’s cemeteries have been fully or partially destroyed, transforming places of remembrance into military facilities. The key Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main link for humanitarian aid and civilian movement, has been heavily militarized and gutted, limiting access for desperately needed supplies and evacuation routes.

What remains unclear: Exact death toll and displacement figures related to the destruction in southern Gaza. Independent verification of the claim that 70 percent of Gaza is under Israeli military occupation. Precise status and control details of the Rafah border crossing. Extent and confirmation of destruction at each university and its impact on students.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Gaza. Open the source.