Israeli Report: 74% of Buildings Destroyed Across 19 Villages in South Lebanon.
18,000 Buildings Destroyed Across 19 Villages.
A satellite image analysis broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 revealed extensive destruction across villages in South Lebanon, showing that roughly 18,000 buildings have been destroyed in 19 villages examined as part of the survey, with destruction reaching around 74% of all buildings in those areas. The analysis, based on imagery captured by Planet Labs and conducted by the Hebrew University’s Geographic Information Systems Center, found that in 18 of the 19 villages, destruction levels exceeded 50%, while more than 80% of buildings were destroyed in ten of the villages.
Some Villages Wiped Out Almost Entirely.
The destruction ratio reached 99% or higher in the villages of Marwahin, Mhaibib, Maroun al-Ras, and Blida, and 90% in Adaisseh. Other towns recorded similarly severe damage: 90% in Khiam, 87% in both Kfar Kila and al-Naqoura, 83% in Houla, 76% in Yaroun, 65% in each of Deir Siriane, al-Taybeh, and Meiss el-Jabal, 61% in Aita al-Shaab, 57% in al-Tiri, 54% in Bint Jbeil, and 52% in al-Qantara, while Qabrikha recorded the lowest destruction rate at 13%. The analysis classified a building as “destroyed” if it had sustained at least 30% damage, noting that destruction levels rose the closer a village sat to the Israeli border.
A Pattern Acknowledged by Israel’s Own Defense Minister.
The findings echo an admission last week from Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, who acknowledged that all buildings had been destroyed in 24 Lebanese villages, saying Israeli forces had destroyed between 15,000 and 20,000 homes and that the 24 villages had been completely wiped out. According to reporting on the matter, the Israeli military has occupied roughly 600 square kilometers of Lebanese territory, with the area now seeing significant construction activity, including a military base built well beyond the immediate border zone and dozens of kilometers of new roads — alongside the erasure of entire villages. A separate New York Times investigation, based on similar satellite imagery along with verified videos and photos, reported that roughly 20 towns and villages near the border had been leveled, with demolitions extending to government buildings, schools, hospitals, and mosques.
Israeli officials have said the destruction is linked to dismantling tunnel networks they describe as inconsistent with the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war, which calls for South Lebanon to be free of unauthorized armed groups and weapons outside state control — along with claims, not independently verified, that Hezbollah intended to use tunnels near the border to infiltrate northern Israel. Lebanon’s army has meanwhile stepped up efforts to assert state authority in the south, working to dismantle weapons sites in coordination with international partners even as the demolitions continue.
