How Israel Built a Surveillance Network Covering Nearly All of Gaza, According to Al Jazeera Analysis

Gaza City — More than two and a half years after the war in Gaza began in October 2023, Israel has established an extensive network of military positions across the enclave, many of which remain active despite the ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. According to an investigation by Al Jazeera's Open Source Unit, these sites are strategically positioned on elevated terrain, creating what analysts describe as an integrated surveillance system capable of monitoring large portions of the Gaza Strip.

From neighborhoods devastated by months of conflict, Palestinians can see Israeli military installations rising above the horizon, marked by fortified structures, antennas, observation towers, and earthen embankments. Yet the investigation argues that the more significant question is not what residents can see from below, but what Israeli forces can observe from above.

Forty Military Sites Mapped Across Gaza

Al Jazeera's Open Source Unit documented 40 Israeli military sites inside the Gaza Strip using satellite imagery captured in May 2026. Researchers then combined the locations with digital elevation models (DEM), topographic data, and geographic information system (GIS) technology to examine whether the positions were intentionally built on Gaza's highest ground.

The analysis found a consistent pattern: the majority of Israeli military installations occupy elevated locations that provide broad visibility over surrounding neighborhoods, roads, displacement camps, and open terrain.

Rather than functioning as isolated military outposts, the investigation concludes that the sites form an interconnected surveillance network designed to maximize observation and operational awareness throughout much of Gaza.

Elevation Offers a Tactical Advantage

The mapped military positions range in elevation from approximately 10 to 100 meters above sea level.

According to the analysis:

• - Ten military sites are located at elevations exceeding 80 meters.

• - Fourteen occupy terrain between 70 and 80 meters.

• - Eight more are positioned around the 60-meter elevation level.

Researchers argue that this distribution reflects a deliberate military strategy of controlling Gaza's highest terrain to improve observation capabilities and extend operational oversight beyond areas where Israeli forces are physically deployed.

By comparing military positions with Gaza's topographic landscape, analysts concluded that elevated terrain provides significant visual dominance over surrounding areas, allowing observers to monitor movement across extensive sections of the enclave.

GIS Analysis Reconstructs Israeli Fields of View

To estimate what Israeli forces could potentially observe, Al Jazeera's team used GIS-based visibility modeling combined with digital elevation data.

The model assumed a single observation point approximately 6.7 meters above ground at each military site.

Even under that conservative assumption, the resulting analysis suggested that more than half of the modeled area of Gaza falls within the combined line of sight of Israeli military positions.

Researchers note that this likely underestimates actual surveillance capacity because satellite imagery shows many sites contain multiple observation towers, communication systems, and elevated structures.

Where visibility from one site ends, neighboring installations frequently overlap, creating continuous visual coverage across large portions of the territory.

Military Bases Rather Than Temporary Positions

Satellite imagery also indicates that many installations appear designed for long-term use rather than temporary deployment.

Several sites include:

• - Multiple observation towers.

• - Reinforced earthen berms.

• - Communication towers.

• - Multi-story fortified buildings.

• - Permanent military infrastructure.

One of the clearest examples identified by the investigation lies east of Khan Younis, where Israeli forces reportedly incorporated an existing Palestinian-owned building into an expanded military complex after taking control of the area.

Satellite imagery shows the position includes seven observation towers built along an earthen embankment approximately 78 meters above sea level, enabling surveillance from multiple angles instead of relying on a single observation post.

Visible From Palestinian Neighborhoods

The investigation also analyzed field footage captured by journalists inside Gaza.

Among the sites identified are military positions overlooking Jabal al-Rais, roughly 84 meters above sea level, and Tal al-Muntar, which rises above 87 meters.

From residential districts, these installations remain visible from distances exceeding two to three kilometers.

Researchers argue that the reverse is equally important: if Palestinians can clearly see the military positions from below, those same neighborhoods likely fall within the observation range of Israeli forces stationed above.

Additional elevation differences are amplified by the construction of raised earthworks and observation towers, effectively increasing the height of surveillance platforms beyond the natural terrain.

Palestinian Testimonies Extend Beyond Surveillance

The report argues that the significance of these military sites extends beyond intelligence gathering.

Palestinian witnesses interviewed by Al Jazeera alleged that several elevated positions have also served as firing locations targeting areas where displaced civilians have established tent camps.

Residents described repeated gunfire originating from Israeli military cranes and observation positions, alongside attacks involving quadcopter drones.

One displaced resident living in the Qatari camp near Khan Younis said gunfire could erupt at any time, day or night, adding that he sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh during an incident in which approximately seven others were also injured.

Another witness living in a tent at the Austrian Cemetery displacement site reported recurring shootings directed toward civilian shelters and described the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy after he was struck in the neck.

Using geospatial analysis, Al Jazeera's investigators estimated that one nearby Israeli military position lies roughly two kilometers from the displacement camp, suggesting that these sites possess both surveillance and operational reach.

Long-Range Visibility Demonstrated

To validate the visibility analysis, researchers examined footage broadcast by Israel's KAN television on January 24, 2026, showing an Israeli military position near the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza.

Visible in the background were industrial chimneys.

After comparing the footage with satellite imagery, investigators identified the structures as the Ashdod Power Station in Israel.

The measured distance between the military position and the facility was approximately 10.8 kilometers, demonstrating the long-range visibility available from elevated observation points.

Researchers noted that this distance is more than double the approximate five-kilometer width separating eastern and western Gaza in some areas, illustrating the potential observational reach of elevated military installations.

Multiple Towers Expand Surveillance Coverage

The Open Source Unit also conducted a detailed simulation of one military position in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis.

Using a model with a single observation point produced relatively limited visibility.

However, when researchers simulated seven observation towers, matching satellite imagery of the site, the observable area expanded substantially.

Instead of relying on one viewing angle, multiple towers created overlapping fields of vision capable of monitoring significantly larger sections of surrounding territory.

The destruction of nearby buildings during the conflict has also reduced visual obstructions, further increasing surveillance effectiveness from elevated positions.

An Integrated System of Control

Viewed individually, the 40 military sites appear scattered across Gaza. Yet when combined with topographic analysis, satellite imagery, and GIS visibility modeling, they form what Al Jazeera describes as a coordinated surveillance network extending from northern to southern Gaza.

The investigation concludes that the combination of elevated terrain, overlapping observation fields, multiple surveillance towers, permanent military infrastructure, and open landscapes created by wartime destruction has significantly expanded Israel's ability to visually monitor large parts of the enclave.

According to the analysis, these positions represent more than isolated military bases. Together, they function as an integrated system of observation and territorial control that continues to shape the security landscape inside Gaza even after the ceasefire.