{"id":28528,"date":"2026-01-27T03:54:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T03:54:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=28528"},"modified":"2026-01-27T03:54:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T03:54:19","slug":"investigation-reveals-israeli-campaign-to-flatten-gaza-town-of-beit-hanoon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=28528","title":{"rendered":"Investigation reveals Israeli campaign to flatten Gaza town of Beit Hanoon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><strong>Al Jazeera\u2019s Sanad unit analysed satellite images, finding that Israel razed homes in the weeks since the ceasefire began.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cleared-Area-After-18-12-2025-Military-Equipment-1769111655.png?resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Satellite image of Beit Hanoon\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Beit Hanoon in the process of being cleared, with bulldozers visible, December 18, 2025 [Planet Labs PBC]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Israeli army is working to flatten the remains of homes in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoon, despite the ongoing ceasefire that began in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Al Jazeera\u2019s digital investigations team Sanad analysed satellite images taken between October 8 \u2013 two days before the ceasefire began \u2013 and January 8, and found evidence of the operation, which some Palestinians fear may be a step towards the establishment of illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sanad found that the Israeli army has used bulldozers to clear around 408,000 square metres (4.39 million square feet) of land, including the remains of at least 329 homes, and agricultural sites, that Israel destroyed during its two-year war on Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/b66b6b11-0b83-4317-a936-d43164651d23\/4e505e17-aea2-46c2-9239-7892f9b38075\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"playlist-container\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Now Playing04:59<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/b66b6b11-0b83-4317-a936-d43164651d23\/2dd12bd1-d4c9-4cc5-8cef-e75f62c740fe\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/b66b6b11-0b83-4317-a936-d43164651d23\/2dd12bd1-d4c9-4cc5-8cef-e75f62c740fe\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/b66b6b11-0b83-4317-a936-d43164651d23\/2dd12bd1-d4c9-4cc5-8cef-e75f62c740fe\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Israel is using the ceasefire to erase neighbourhoods in north Gaza\">Israel is using the ceasefire to erase neighbourhoods in north Gaza<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next02:44<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/93e99568-36bf-48cb-b718-3b2d60785648\/ebeac6e4-325d-4983-9f2a-950352cabb46\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/93e99568-36bf-48cb-b718-3b2d60785648\/ebeac6e4-325d-4983-9f2a-950352cabb46\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/93e99568-36bf-48cb-b718-3b2d60785648\/ebeac6e4-325d-4983-9f2a-950352cabb46\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Ukrainians endure freezing homes as Russian attacks cut heat and power\">Ukrainians endure freezing homes as Russian attacks cut heat and power<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>07:18<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/0839050b-1100-4fdf-9417-5804f641c183\/fab85e91-e360-40fc-ac96-533b8274d9df\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/0839050b-1100-4fdf-9417-5804f641c183\/fab85e91-e360-40fc-ac96-533b8274d9df\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/0839050b-1100-4fdf-9417-5804f641c183\/fab85e91-e360-40fc-ac96-533b8274d9df\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza escalated from ethnic cleansing to \u2018genocidal operation\u2019: Analysis \">Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza escalated from ethnic cleansing to \u2018genocidal operation\u2019: Analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>01:06<img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/c51b7d3f-0682-4c0d-9c51-6731a1817ab4\/f5aabf08-4ea3-4af5-98a9-6678be2a78a4\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=270%2C152&amp;quality=80 270w, https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/c51b7d3f-0682-4c0d-9c51-6731a1817ab4\/f5aabf08-4ea3-4af5-98a9-6678be2a78a4\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80 730w\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/c51b7d3f-0682-4c0d-9c51-6731a1817ab4\/f5aabf08-4ea3-4af5-98a9-6678be2a78a4\/426x240\/match\/image.jpg?resize=730%2C410&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"White House attacks \u2018sensationalist\u2019 media over Alex Pretti coverage\">White House attacks \u2018sensationalist\u2019 media over Alex Pretti coverage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>01:36<img decoding=\"async\" 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intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But by mid-December, many of the buildings had been totally razed, as well as former agricultural land, replaced by a flattened brown landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rubble-removal operations began directly at the edge of Beit Hanoon, facing the fence that separates the city from nearby Israeli settlements along the northern border, including Sderot, which is roughly 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) away from Beit Hanoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Israel has damaged or destroyed the majority of structures in Gaza \u2013 81 percent by last October, according to the United Nations. Northern Gaza has borne the brunt of the damage, with many areas, such as Beit Hanoon, systematically razed to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_4260713\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Beet-Hanon-Rubble-Before-05-09-2025-No-Edit-1769112167.png?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C675&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Satellite image\" class=\"wp-image-4260713\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A partially-destroyed Beit Hanoon before being razed by the Israeli military, October 8, 2025 [Planet Labs PBC]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"settlement-plans\">Settlement plans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Israeli far right has consistently openly declared its desire for Israeli Jews to settle Gaza. In December 2024, Israeli ministers and parliament members visited a location in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, overlooking the Gaza Strip. They pointed at Beit Hanoon and Beit Lahiya, stating that more than 800 Jewish families were willing to move there \u201cas soon as possible\u201d, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, at an Israeli conference held on December 23, Defence Minister Israel Katz outlined plans to establish agricultural-military bases called \u201cNava Nahal\u201d \u2013 Israeli military outposts that combine farming with an armed presence in an effort to consolidate control over a territory \u2013 in the north of Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get instant alerts and updates based on your interests. Be the first to know when big stories happen.Yes, keep me updated<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katz stressed that Israel \u201cwill never withdraw and will never leave Gaza\u201d, calling these bases \u201creplacements\u201d for the Israeli settlements cleared in 2005. That was the year Israel withdrew its settlers from the Gaza Strip under a unilateral disengagement plan following the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2005\/9\/28\/al-aqsa-intifada-timeline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">second Intifada<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The withdrawal continues to be a sore topic for the powerful Israeli far right, which considers it a mistake that must be corrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And even if settlements are not eventually built, Israeli leaders have made it clear that they want to control a buffer zone deep into Gaza, territory that would eventually include areas like Beit Hanoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One Israeli officer, quoted in the Long War Journal, said that the campaign to raze Beit Hanoon was part of an operation \u201cto create a significant security perimeter and make it very difficult for the enemy to return to its infrastructure\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Israel\u2019s critics say the goal is clear. Speaking to Al Jazeera, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese said that \u201cunder the fog of war, Israel is going to destroy Gaza, displace the Palestinians, and attempt to reoccupy and conquer the land\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Israel&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2025\/11\/11\/how-many-times-has-israel-violated-the-gaza-ceasefire-here-are-the-numbers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has violated the ceasefire<\/a>&nbsp;at least 1,300 times since it began on October 10, which includes shooting at civilians 430 times and bombing or shelling Gaza more than 600 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cf-images.eu-west-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/665003303001\/180af914-f02a-4d26-8a9b-f26e78a19191\/e29519e7-9d73-473c-896c-81dd96bec0db\/1920x1080\/match\/image.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palestinians react to Netanyahu joining Gaza &#8216;Board of Peace&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Reference Link:- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/1\/26\/investigation-reveals-israeli-campaign-to-flatten-gaza-town-of-beit-hanoon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/1\/26\/investigation-reveals-israeli-campaign-to-flatten-gaza-town-of-beit-hanoon<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Al Jazeera\u2019s Sanad unit analysed satellite images, finding that Israel razed homes in the weeks since the ceasefire began. The Israeli army is working to flatten the remains of homes in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoon, despite the ongoing ceasefire that began in October. Al Jazeera\u2019s digital investigations team Sanad analysed satellite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[25701,1947,4626,24303,5392,4935,18540],"class_list":["post-28528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-aside","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sample-category","tag-annexation-of-west-bank","tag-gaza-genocide-2","tag-israeli-agressions-2","tag-israeli-atrocities-2","tag-israeli-brutalities-2","tag-war-crimes-2","tag-zionism-2","post_format-post-format-aside"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28528"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28530,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28528\/revisions\/28530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}