Investigating the Effects of Bombardment of Cities on the Displacement of the Earth's Surface Using DInSAR (Case Study: Gaza City, Before and After the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation)

Objective: This study aimed to compare the vertical displacement of the earth's surface using DInSAR acquired from processing the Sentinel-1A satellite radar images in a period of approximately 6 months before and 4 months after the bombing of Gaza City (before and after Al-Aqsa Storm Operation).Methodology: For this purpose, 2 radar images for before and one for after the operation were used. All steps of creating DInSAR and calculation of ground surface displacement were done in SNAP software.Findings: The results indicated that the maximum vertical displacement value of the terrain surface in places and structures before and after the operation was 5.06 cm and 22.67 cm, and for roads was - 6.4 cm and 13.25 cm, respectively. Also, the vertical displacement value of the earth's surface after this operation increased from the south to the north of Gaza, which indicated the more intense bombing of the middle and northern areas of Gaza. The displacement speed of the earth's surface (mm/day) after the operation is about 4 times than before, while the time period after the operation is 60 days less than before of it.Originality: This research demonstrates the ability of satellite remote sensing methods to monitor damages of cities and their infrastructures due to bombings in the least cost and time.