BEFORE/AFTER. This is no longer a war, its a devastation: how Israeli strikes wiped the town of Taybeh off the map in southern Lebanon

Using satellite images, franceinfo was able to document the extent of the destruction in this village. An example among others of the situation in the country since Israel’s intervention in response to Hezbollah’s attacks.

There are six weeks between the two following satellite images. The first, taken on February 28, shows the village of Taybeh in southeastern Lebanon, with its numerous houses, roads, and green spaces. The second, captured on April 11, reveals a war zone with hundreds of destroyed buildings and overturned land. These photographs, provided by Airbus to franceinfo, only show a glimpse of the immense damage caused by Israeli bombings in southern Lebanon since March 2 in response to Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel.

Within less than two months, “we have identified 17,756 destroyed homes and 32,668 damaged” in Lebanon, stated Chadi Abdallah, secretary-general of the National Council for Scientific Research to AFP on Wednesday, April 22. This military strategy is carried out by Israel. In late March, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that “all houses in the neighboring villages will be demolished,” with the goal of “eliminating threats” to northern Israel.

Between March 2 and the ceasefire on April 17, the Israeli army conducted massive strikes on Lebanon, resulting in 2,554 deaths and nearly a million displaced persons, as per the latest Lebanese authorities’ report. The Israeli army also established a “yellow line” of separation in the South, similar to Gaza, stating it aims to protect the population in northern Israel.

Some analysts believe these destructions go beyond a mere military response. “In southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River, it is clear that it’s a gray area,” noted Marc Lavergne, a geopolitician and senior researcher at CNRS. According to him, Israel’s strategy goes beyond merely neutralizing Hezbollah. “When you destroy like this and target the civilian population, it’s no longer a war; it’s devastation to prompt a permanent exodus,” he analyzed.

“You don’t destroy people’s homes thinking they will return in two weeks. It’s really to cut the roots.”

Marc Lavergne, geoscientist

– franceinfo

Israel justifies its operations by the need to secure its border against Hezbollah. The Israeli army claims to target infrastructure connected to the armed movement, accused of using civilian areas for military purposes. These accusations are consistently denied by Lebanese authorities.

The Israeli army asserts it acts in accordance with laws of armed conflict and only proceeds with destructions in cases of military necessity. This interpretation is challenged by Marc Lavergne. “Blaming Hezbollah is an excuse. In Israel, many believe that the state’s borders are not permanent borders,” noted the researcher.

The scale of destruction, in the village of Taybeh and many other locations in the region, is particularly criticized. To Marc Lavergne, “destroying villages is a war crime,” acts that could be condemned and punished under “international law.”