"Burnt ruins"... Google Earth images reveal massive destruction in Gaza

London – Agencies: Google Earth has updated its imagery to reveal the massive scale of destruction in the Gaza Strip, where vast areas have been reduced to rubble. The Israeli war on Gaza has damaged or destroyed most of the homes, hospitals, schools, and buildings in the strip, which covers 141 square miles and is widely regarded as one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Satellite images had previously documented the extent of the devastation, but the new images provide the latest record of damage to the area. The government of Benjamin Netanyahu has not allowed foreign journalists, independent investigators, or many human rights organizations to enter the strip. Correspondents have described the scene as “burnt-out ruins of once-bustling cities,” leaving Gaza submerged in “ash and destruction,” according to Britain’s Independent newspaper. Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, commented on the recent images, saying, “Look at the unprecedented scale of destruction that the world has allowed Israel—the apartheid state—to perpetrate and escape consequences for in Gaza. Know that the killing machine in that destroyed ghetto is still operating at full capacity. What a disgrace.”