Al Jazeera published satellite imagery on Sunday, April 19, that it says shows that reconstruction has made very little progress in Gaza since the ceasefire went into effect last October but that “Israeli military fortifications are expanding at a relentless pace across Gaza, particularly in Rafah.”
“Analysis of imagery from February 25 to March 15 confirmed that while rubble removal has essentially ceased in Beit Hanoon in the north and Rafah, Israeli forces are systematically entrenching a permanent military reality across the devastated enclave,” it reports. “While civilian reconstruction has slowed, Israeli military construction has accelerated. Satellite imagery from March 10 shows extensive clearing and fortification at the strategic al-Muntar hilltop in Shujayea, a neighborhood in Gaza City, and outposts in Khan Younis in Gaza’s south.”
Al Jazeera says that its findings “align with a late 2025 investigation by Forensic Architecture that identified 48 Israeli military sites within Gaza—13 of which were built after an October ‘ceasefire.’ These sites have evolved into permanent bases with paved roads, watchtowers and constant communication links to Israel’s domestic military network.”
