Gaza Strip: Satellite Imagery & Change Since October 7

The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian territory spanning approximately 365 square kilometers along the eastern Mediterranean coast. Bordered by Israel to the north and east, Egypt to the southwest, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, it is divided into five governorates: North Gaza, Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. Before October 7, 2023, the Strip was home to approximately 2.2 million people — one of the highest population densities of any territory on Earth. Its terrain is predominantly flat coastal plain, making it well-suited for remote sensing and satellite change detection.

Sentinel-2 optical imagery, provided freely through the European Space Agency’s Copernicus program, captures the Strip at regular intervals with resolutions capable of documenting changes to the built environment, land cover, and infrastructure over time. Since October 7, 2023, the Gaza Strip has become one of the most intensively satellite-monitored territories on Earth. Sentinel-Bird processes, archives, and distributes this imagery at no cost — one governorate at a time.