Spatial Analysis of the Israel-Palestine Conflict: Urbicide in Gaza

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which dates back many years, involves more than just territorial acquisition or military confrontation; it also has theological foundations in addition to political, socio-cultural, and psychological dynamics. Following Hamas's preemptive attacks on Israel in October 2023, the destruction caused by Israel’s airstrikes and systematically implemented policies particularly targeting Gaza has qualities that go beyond the typical damage a city suffers during wartime. The ceasefire declared on January 19, 2025, was violated by Israel with airstrikes on Gaza on the morning of March 18, which specifically targeted civilians. In the October 7 Hamas attack, approximately 1,200 people lost their lives, and 251 individuals were taken hostage by Hamas. As of today, more than 70,000 Palestinians mostly women and children and 850 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict. In addition to the human toll, the destruction in Gaza is of a scale and severity that cannot be overlooked. Given the extent and nature of this destruction, the core objective of this study is to evaluate whether it can be interpreted through the concept of "urbicide," which is understood in the literature as the spatial/urban manifestation of genocide. While the attacks carried out by Israel in Gaza are generally regarded by the public as acts of genocide, from a legal standpoint it is crucial to substantiate such a characterization by demonstrating the nature of these attacks with the support of scientific evidence. To this end, the historical development of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was reviewed, and the situation in Gaza was assessed using remote sensing and GIS techniques to determine whether it meets the commonly accepted characteristics of urbicide. Based on analyses conducted with remote sensing data provided by the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT), it was found that between October 15, 2023, and February 25, 2025 a total of 11 analyzed time periods 68,154 general buildings, 207 places of worship, 225 educational institutions, and 58 hospitals were completely destroyed. In light of these findings, the study engages in an in depth discussion of whether the policies implemented by Israel in Gaza constitute an act of "urbicide."