Satellite images reveal Israeli forces have erased entire Gaza towns as residents return to find homes destroyed

From the Newshound archive · first published 11 October 2026 · last updated 12 October 2026.

Satellite photographs document the systematic demolition of Gaza neighbourhoods by Israeli forces, with whole towns reduced to rubble and returning residents finding nothing left of their homes. A Gaza grandmother, Iktimal, died of cervical cancer in Egypt in September after months of delays left her unable to access treatment inside the enclave. Her family say she is one of thousands killed not by their illness but by the collapse of Gaza's health system.

Iktimal's cancer diagnosis was itself delayed by more than a month because Israeli restrictions had stripped Gaza's hospital labs of essential equipment.