Satellite images reveal the extent of the Israeli destruction in Aita al-Shaab

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaging in near-daily attacks since Oct.8, a day after the war on Gaza began. A photo of the village of Aita al-Shaab taken on Oct. 10, 2023 — two days after hostilities began — and another dated June 5, 2024 show the extent of destruction that Israeli strikes have caused in the village. 

Along with Yaroun and Mais al-Jabal, Aita al-Shaab is one of the most targeted villages in southern Lebanon.

“Located on the demarcation lines of the border, Aita al-Shaab, Yaroun, and Mais al-Jabal are considered military zones,” a source close to Hezbollah told L’Orient Today anonymously.

Why are these villages in southern Lebanon the most targeted by Israel?

Why are these villages in southern Lebanon the most targeted by Israel?

In late December 2023, a member of the municipal council of Aita al-Shaab stated anonymously to L’Orient Today that “Israel's attacks are sometimes targeted, sometimes indiscriminate.”

“Wooded fields have been set on fire,” he said, noting that in this region “the lands are not exposed due to the terrain and forests.”

Since the beginning of the conflict, the Israeli military has repeatedly dropped white phosphorus munitions on numerous hectares of vegetation.

“Additionally, a third of the houses in Aita al-Shaab have been damaged,” the municipal official said, mentioning “an exodus of hundreds of families to safer regions.”

Satellite image of the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab, after eight months of cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces on June 5, 2024. (Credit: Planet Labs Inc/Handout via Reuters)

On Thursday, Hezbollah announced it had fired more than 200 rockets and explosive drones at northern Israel in retaliation for the death of one of its senior commanders in southern Lebanon, who was killed in a strike the day before. The latest exchanges of fire, coupled with mutual threats, have raised fears of a regional escalation.