Satellite images show Israel’s destruction of historical city of Tyre 

Newly evaluated satellite images show widespread destruction across the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre, following a relentless wave of Israeli air strikes after systematic forced displacement orders.

An analysis of the images by Al Jazeera’s open-source unit, which compared satellite data captured between January 4 and June 4, 2026, reveals a deliberate pattern of land-clearing and demolition. The imagery shows extensive bulldozing and levelling of entirely populated civilian blocks, turning multistorey residential complexes into flattened fields of rubble.

The devastation unfolds as Israel has enforced a “Yellow Line” policy, similar to Gaza, establishing a 10km-deep buffer zone along the border. Lebanese residents have been strictly barred from returning to the so-called military zone.

Situated just 11km (6.5 miles) from this exclusionary line, the ancient maritime city of Tyre, dating back nearly 5,000 years, has found itself on the front line of the military escalation.

The civil defence in southern Lebanon told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that at least six people were killed following the latest Israeli strikes on the town of Tayr Debba in the Tyre district. This comes a day after 20 people were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire being in place.

More than 3,600 people have been killed and some 1.2 million have been displaced in the Israeli military offensive since March 2.

According to data provided by the Tyre municipality, the military action has taken a heavy toll on the city’s civilian infrastructure:

• Since March 2, 2026, until this week, Tyre has been subjected to approximately 31 direct Israeli air raids.
• At least 25 residential buildings were directly hit, causing total or partial collapse.
• Critical infrastructure, including power grids, water stations, telephone lines, and sewage networks, sustained extensive damage.

The visual evidence indicates that the destruction is spread across different quarters of the city’s urban fabric. The ongoing campaign mirrors the destructive patterns of the 2006 war, characterised by the flattening of entire neighbourhoods, significant civilian casualties and mass displacement.

Israel has killed about 73,000 people in its genocidal war on Gaza, where 80 percent of the buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including heritage sites.

Threat to World Heritage Sites

The damage has spilled over into Tyre’s invaluable historical quarters. Satellite data shows that air raids hit structures just metres away from the Tyre archaeological site, a location inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1984.

The targeted perimeter falls within a zone granted “enhanced protection” in November 2024 under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Culture issued an urgent statement condemning the attacks, noting that the ancient city preserves nearly 5,000 years of human history. The ministry emphasised that safeguarding this cultural landmark is a collective global obligation mandated by international law, rather than the responsibility of Lebanon alone.

In addition to historical sites, educational institutions have been directly affected. The National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes struck the immediate vicinity of the Islamic University of Lebanon in Tyre, causing structural damage and destroying civilian vehicles parked nearby.

Palestinian refugee camps under fire

The bombardment has also hit the region’s vulnerable refugee populations, specifically targeting the el-Buss camp for Palestinian refugees. Satellite images confirmed the destruction of several buildings inside the officially recognised UNRWA camp, alongside severe structural damage to a local public high school.

The escalation has triggered a secondary humanitarian crisis for Palestinians in Lebanon, who number approximately 246,000 across 12 official camps. The southern districts of Tyre and Sidon have borne the brunt of direct military operations and forced displacement orders issued south of the Zahrani River.

The three official camps in the Tyre district – Rashidieh, el-Buss and Burj Shemali – house a combined population of 28,000 refugees.

UNRWA officials have confirmed to Al Jazeera that one-third of the 28,000 residents have already fled the three Tyre camps due to the bombardment.

A region in flight

The exodus from Tyre has severely strained the humanitarian infrastructure across Lebanon. Out of Tyre’s permanent population of 60,000, including some 10,000 from the densely packed historical Old City, an estimated 8 percent, fled within a 48-hour window following the latest military warnings.

Before the current wave of alerts, Tyre hosted 19,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from surrounding border villages, with 6,000 accommodated across 19 local shelters. Now, both the original residents and those previously displaced are fleeing further north:

• Sidon and its camps: Ein el-Hilweh and Mieh Mieh camps in Sidon have become primary destinations, severely overstretching already scarce food, water, and medical resources.
• Beirut and the suburbs: Displaced families are arriving in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, including Iqlim al-Kharroub and the Chouf. However, those entering Beirut’s southern suburbs, such as the Burj al-Barajneh and Shatila camps, face the ongoing threat of secondary air raids.
• The far north: Hundreds of families are travelling as far as Tripoli and Akkar, seeking refuge in the Nahr al-Bared and Beddawi camps, which are currently viewed as safer havens.