Image © 2024 Maxar Technologies. Satellite imagery taken on April 1 2024 shows the site of al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza
Investigators verified over 1,300 incidents in total, using digital investigation techniques to verify destruction, violence and visible casualties using footage and images shared online, satellite imagery and other types of open source material.
The map is designed to enhance public access and comprehension of verified information related to the conflict, providing a useful resource for journalists and researchers.
“Data has often been missing in coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and the following escalation of fighting in Lebanon. This map aims to change that,” CIR’s Director of Investigations Ben Strick said.
“This map is intended to demonstrate the human cost of the war. Each data point tells a story – documenting the homes, schools, hospitals and infrastructure damaged, and most of all, the lives that have been lost.”
The overwhelming majority of incidents recorded in the map took place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), amounting to over 860 incidents in total. Over 550 of these were concentrated in the Gaza Strip, mostly consisting of airstrike damage to homes, vehicles and infrastructure.
In Lebanon, over 330 incidents were recorded – mainly damage and airstrikes clustered in the south.
In some cases, investigators documented damage to sites protected under humanitarian law, including 63 incidents involving damage to education facilities and 50 incidents involving damage to healthcare facilities – nearly all of which were located in Gaza.
CIR has verified over 1,300 incidents since 7 October 2023. Most are located in the OPTs, with over 550 in Gaza alone. The interactive version of the map is available here
The map shows that some sites were targeted more than once, including shelters on the grounds of the Emirates Centre for Education and Training near Al-Aqsa Hospital, Gaza. Damage to UN-affiliated infrastructure was also verified.
Investigators also found instances involving degrading treatment of detainees, including stripping and blindfolding, and force used against unarmed persons.
Within hours of the 7 October attacks last year, CIR analysts started to collate and verify videos showing Hamas terrorists attacking Israeli civilians and taking hostages. The team worked with journalists from the Washington Post to help construct a timeline of events and identify hostages seized from Israel, archiving 281 pieces of content in total.
The recently released map has 53 fully verified incidents from 7 October 2023, including armed and unarmed casualties, the use of force and degrading treatment of unarmed individuals, damage to infrastructure and vehicles, as well as violence against armed personnel and military bases.
“Ever since the shocking events of October 7th last year, CIR has been working to investigate and verify incidents on the ground,” said CIR’s Co-Founder, Ross Burley.
“All conflicts are by their nature chaotic and confusing – yet the violence we’ve witnessed has been exacerbated by disinformation and deliberate efforts online to distort the truth. CIR’s new map will, I hope, help in bringing some clarity and objectivity to what has been a devastating conflict.”
Each pin on the map is an incident that has been analysed by CIR using digital investigative techniques, where investigators cross-reference social media footage with satellite imagery and other data to confirm details including where and when an incident took place, and what happened. Each piece of data has been analysed for authenticity by CIR Investigators.
Incidents are prioritised based on their potential impact, relevance to broader trends, and the availability of credible data. Safety concerns for staff and the resources available also play a role in determining scope. CIR does not publish information that could endanger individuals and delays the release of data to mitigate any harm caused through the mapping of incidents.
“We’re continually aware of our responsibility – to both the people affected by this conflict and those monitoring it – to be forensic and thorough in our analysis, upholding the highest standard of verification at all times,” Strick added.
Explore the Israel-Gaza Conflict Map here.