A satellite image shows the intensity of the bombardment in Israel

Israel’s intensifying bombing campaign in Lebanon has caused more damage to buildings in two weeks than in a year of cross-border fighting with Hezbollah, according to satellite-based radar data examined by the BBC.

The data shows that more than 3,600 buildings in Lebanon appear to have been damaged or destroyed between 2 and 14 October 2024. This represents about 54 percent of the total damage estimated since the cross-border conflict between Israel and Hezbollah broke out over a year ago. .

The damage data was collected by Corey Scher of the City University of New York and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University. They compared satellite radar images to reveal sudden changes in the height or shape of buildings that indicate damage.

Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for the organization Pax for Peace, reviewed the satellite-based radar data and warned about the impact of the bombing in Israel.

“Israel’s military operation appears to be creating a ‘dead zone’ in southern Lebanon to drive people out, making it difficult for Hezbollah to reestablish positions, at the expense of civilians,” he said.

Cross-border hostilities erupted between Israel and Hezbollah after the Lebanese armed group began firing rockets into and around northern Israel in support of the Palestinian people on October 8, 2023, a day after a deadly attack by its ally Hamas in southern Israel. .

The State of Israel attacked southern Lebanon in a surprise attack on 30 September to destroy Hezbollah’s weapons and infrastructure in “limited, localized, targeted attacks”.

Satellite images, radar images, and military records show Israeli bombardment in Lebanon is concentrated in the southern border region. It has also increased in central and northern areas, including the Bekaa Valley and areas south of Beirut.

The Israeli military said it struck thousands of Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut.

Most of the strikes in Beirut were aimed at Dahieh, a southern suburb that is home to thousands of people. The Israeli military says the area is home to Hezbollah’s headquarters.

A series of Israeli strikes on buildings in the area killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on 27 September.

Separate data from the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (Acled), which has been analyzed by the BBC, shows at least 2,700 attacks by Israeli soldiers in Lebanese areas from 1 September to 11 October 2024. Although these attacks are mainly concentrated in the southern border areas, they have also spread to the northern and central regions.

Hezbollah carried out approximately 540 attacks against Israel during the same period, according to Acled. Each attack by Hezbollah would include an array of rockets, missiles and drones.

The Israeli military said the airstrikes in Lebanon were targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

It continues to add that it wants to ensure the safe return of tens of thousands of residents of Israel’s border areas displaced by attacks by the Iran-backed group.

About 60,000 people have been evacuated from northern Israel due to daily attacks by Hezbollah. But some rockets have reached the south and damaged homes in and around the coastal city of Haifa.

On the Lebanese side, most Israeli airstrikes have targeted the city of Tire, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut, according to a BBC analysis of the latest monthly data collected by Acled.

Lebanon’s government says an estimated 1.3 million people have fled their homes, and Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned of the “biggest exodus” in the country’s history.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been issuing evacuation orders to residents across the country, including areas of Beirut.

In the south, the army ordered residents of several villages to leave their homes and “immediately head north of the Awali River,” which meets the coast about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Israeli border.

“This is a human tragedy,” Gabriel Karlsson, Middle East Manager at the British Red Cross in Beirut, told the BBC.

He said there are not enough shelters to accommodate so many people.

“I saw children lying on the streets,” Karlsson added, urging humanitarian organizations to join forces to tackle the growing problem.

Lebanese officials say at least 2,350 have been killed and more than 10,000 injured in the Israeli attack. Lebanon’s health minister said most of the injured were civilians.

On the Israeli side, 60 people have been killed and more than 570 wounded by Hezbollah attacks, Israeli authorities said.

“The damage to agreements is inevitable in war”, Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence, told the BBC.

The retired major-general blamed Hezbollah for the war and said an Israeli attack would force the group out of border areas.

Zwijnenburg, of the Pax for Peace movement, however, has warned of the impact of Israel’s military campaign on people and settlements.

“Large explosions kill and maim nearby civilians”, he said, referring to Israeli strikes.

“Open source data combined with satellite imagery also showed that human infrastructure such as irrigation canals, power stations and power grids have been damaged, making the humanitarian situation worse,” he added.

Additional reporting by Paul Cusiac and Maria Rashed