Lebanese families use satellite images to assess damage to homes after Israeli strikes
Displaced residents of southern Lebanon are pooling funds to purchase commercial satellite photos, hoping to determine whether their houses destroyed in recent Israeli operations still stand.
Residents of the southern Lebanese village of Yaroun, many of whom were forced to flee after renewed Israeli airstrikes in March, are buying commercial satellite images to verify the condition of their homes. Each image costs at least $112, and villagers often have to coordinate payments through a shared account. The satellite provider sometimes refuses to supply images for specific coordinates, citing U.S. government restrictions that began in April.
Yaroun’s mayor, Hafez Ghacham, says roughly 180 of the village’s 200 houses have been demolished since the latest fighting began. Municipal employee Geryes Saloum, who built a three-bedroom home a decade ago, waits daily for new pictures, saying he could not sleep after learning his father’s two-story stone house was destroyed. The Israeli Defense Minister has previously stated that Israel aims to depopulate Lebanese border villages to create a buffer zone, a policy that residents say prevents them from returning even to visit.
Satellite images have confirmed the destruction of cultural landmarks, including a Greek Catholic church, a convent, and several mosques. Israeli officials have denied responsibility for some of the demolitions, offering alternative photographs that villagers argue do not match the targeted sites.
Many property owners are dual nationals, including U.S. citizens who have invested heavily in homes in the area. Hanna Farah, living in New York, learned through a satellite photo that his mother’s house had been razed, and later that a newly built wall on his own property had been leveled. He and other expatriates describe the loss as a personal and financial blow, noting that U.S. military aid to Israel totals about $3.8 billion annually.
The community continues to hope for a durable ceasefire and the ability to rebuild. “We are trying to keep the hope alive that one day we can return and reconstruct our village,” said Mazen Farah, who coordinates the image purchases for his family.