Al Jazeera Maps 1,000 Square Kilometres of Israeli Military Zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria

An Al Jazeera investigation published on 14 June 2026 found that Israeli forces maintain a de facto military footprint covering approximately 1,000 square kilometres across the Gaza Strip, southern Lebanon and southern Syria. The territory is larger than New York City and equals roughly five percent of Israel’s total landmass prior to October 2023.

Israeli military maps have not reflected the true extent of territorial control since the war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023, the investigation concluded after comparing official maps with satellite imagery, geographic information systems data and Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project statistics.

In Gaza, the Israeli military introduced a “Yellow Line” after an October 2025 ceasefire to mark control over roughly 200 square kilometres. 7 percent of the north, with unannounced demolitions recorded in the Shujayea neighbourhood outside declared zones. Following the April 2026 ceasefire in southern Lebanon, official maps indicated a buffer zone of 570 square kilometres.

Satellite images captured building demolitions in Zawtar al-Sharqiya, located outside the declared lines. In southern Syria, Israel established a continuous network of fixed military outposts beyond the 1974 “alpha” line, creating a de facto control zone of 235 square kilometres stretching from Jabal al-Sheikh to the Yarmouk River.

Between December 2024 and January 2026, Israeli forces conducted more than 800 incursions into Syrian territory, one reaching 63 kilometres into the Deraa countryside.

Ehab Jabareen, an expert in Israeli affairs, described the pattern as “calculated chaos” and “strategic deception,” stating that diplomats announce compliance while the military shifts boundaries under operational pretexts. Mohannad Mustafa, an expert on Israeli politics, said geographic expansion substitutes for decisive military victories, noting the political echelon aims at occupying up to 70 percent of the Gaza Strip and converting inhabited areas into depopulated security zones.