'Israel' leveled over 1,500 Gaza buildings since ceasefire began: BBC

• Satellite data shows over 1,500 buildings destroyed in Gaza since the October 10 ceasefire.
• Experts say the demolitions may breach both the ceasefire and international law.
• 'Israel' claims actions are consistent with the agreement’s demilitarization terms.
• Analysts warn the ongoing destruction risks collapsing the fragile truce.

Satellite imagery reviewed by BBC Verify indicates that 'Israel' has destroyed more than 1,500 buildings across Gaza in areas it continues to occupy, despite the ceasefire with Hamas that began on October 10.

The findings reveal widespread demolitions in neighborhoods that were not visibly damaged prior to the truce, raising questions about whether these actions violate the ceasefire terms.

Images taken between October and November show entire residential blocks, farmland, and orchards reduced to rubble, particularly in eastern Khan Younis and near Rafah. Analysts warn that the true extent of the destruction could be even greater, as satellite coverage remains incomplete.

While some experts say these demolitions breach the US-brokered ceasefire, an 'Israeli' military spokesperson defended the operations, stating they are “in accordance with the ceasefire framework.” The Israeli Ouccpation Forces (IOF) insists that its actions target “terror infrastructure, including tunnels,” and that such demolitions are part of the agreed demilitarization of Gaza.

Former 'Israeli' official Eitan Shamir also defended the military, claiming the truce does not apply to areas under 'Israeli' control. “Hamas is allowed to do what it wants in the territory it controls, and Israel is allowed to do what it wants in the territory it controls,” he said.

However, legal experts and analysts argue the opposite. Dr. H.A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI, described the demolitions as “definitely a violation of the ceasefire,” accusing Washington of turning a blind eye. Rutgers law professor Adil Haque added that such actions may breach international law, noting that civilian property can only be destroyed when “absolutely necessary by military operations”, not during a ceasefire.

Former resident Lana Khalil, who was displaced from Abasan al-Kabira to al-Mawasi, described the devastation of her neighborhood. “The Israeli military left nothing to us, they demolished everything. Our hearts are broken.”

Despite claims by 'Israeli' officials that the demolitions are part of a security strategy, analysts warn that the destruction could jeopardize the peace plan led by US President Donald Trump. The 20-point framework, which explicitly suspended “all military operations,” is now under growing scrutiny.

“Ultimately, the sense that Israel is stalling its withdrawal and looking to create new permanent facts on the ground... will become an increasingly greater threat to the maintenance of the ceasefire,” said Hugh Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations.