Recent satellite data has highlighted the extensive damage caused by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since September, revealing a scale of destruction that surpasses the impact of a full year of mutual bombardments between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah along the border. 

The bombardments have primarily targeted the southern border region, but have also spread to central and northern areas, including the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

According to an analysis conducted by the BBC, over 3,600 buildings in Lebanon were either damaged or destroyed between October 2 and October 14, 2024. This figure represents approximately 54% of the total estimated damage incurred since the onset of the conflict over a year ago. This escalation followed Hezbollah's establishment of a support front for Gaza, coinciding with a parallel war initiated by Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The data was collected by Corey Scheer from New York University and Jamon Van Den Hoek from the University of Oregon, who compared satellite images to identify sudden changes in the height or structural integrity of affected buildings. Environmental expert Wim Zwijnenburg from Pax for Peace reviewed the findings and expressed concern over the ramifications of the Israeli bombings.

“It seems that the Israeli military campaign aims to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon to drive out the population and hinder Hezbollah’s ability to reestablish its positions, all at the expense of civilians," Zwijnenburg said. 

“Open-source data, along with satellite images, has demonstrated that civilian infrastructure such as irrigation channels, fuel stations, and electricity networks has been damaged, exacerbating the humanitarian situation," he noted. 

An analysis by the BBC utilizing data from the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project revealed that approximately 2,700 attacks by the Israeli military occurred in Lebanese territories between October 1 and October 11, 2024. During this same timeframe, Hezbollah reportedly launched around 540 attacks against Israel, with each of these assaults likely involving a barrage of rockets, shells, and drones.

The Lebanese government has stated that the number of displaced people in the country has reached 1.3 million, with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati warning of “the largest displacement” in Lebanon's history. In response to the escalating conflict, the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for residents across various regions, including parts of the capital. In southern Lebanon, residents of several villages were instructed to leave their homes and “immediately head north of the Awali River,” which meets the coast approximately 50 kilometers from the Israeli border.

Gabriel Karlsson, a representative of the British Red Cross in Beirut, described the situation as “a humanitarian disaster,” noting that existing shelters are inadequate to accommodate the high number of displaced individuals.