Accounts from residents, analysis of satellite images and observations by AFP journalists indicate that dozens of towns and villages near the Israeli border have suffered severe damage, including the destruction of homes, schools, religious sites, public infrastructure and agricultural land.

Israel launched a military campaign in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, opened a front against Israel on March 2. Israeli forces responded with large-scale airstrikes and a ground offensive in areas where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence.

Although a ceasefire came into force on April 17, residents and Lebanese officials say demolitions, bulldozing operations and strikes have continued across parts of southern Lebanon. Israel has maintained that its actions target Hezbollah infrastructure and operatives and are intended to prevent future attacks on Israeli communities.

Satellite images reviewed by AFP showed extensive destruction in the border village of Yaroun, located less than one kilometer from Israel. Residents said much of the town, including residential neighborhoods and public buildings, has been reduced to rubble.

Images from Bint Jbeil, a major town in southern Lebanon and a longstanding Hezbollah stronghold, also indicated widespread damage. Satellite photographs taken in early April showed relatively limited destruction, while images captured a month later suggested that large sections of the town had been demolished.

Lebanese Environment Minister Tamara Zein has accused Israel of carrying out what she described as “urbicide,” a term used to describe the deliberate destruction of urban areas. Researchers at Lebanon’s government-linked National Council for Scientific Research echoed concerns that destruction accelerated during the ceasefire period.

According to the council, Israeli attacks since 2023 have damaged more than 290,000 housing units across Lebanon, including roughly 61,000 since the latest conflict began. Researchers estimate that around 12,000 units were completely or partially destroyed after the ceasefire took effect.

Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry said earlier this month that more than 560 square kilometers of farmland had been damaged by Israeli military operations and attacks.

Israeli forces continue to operate inside a self-declared security zone extending approximately 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory. Israeli officials say the measures are necessary to protect border communities from Hezbollah attacks and prevent the group’s military re-establishment near the frontier.

The destruction has complicated efforts by displaced residents to return home. More than one million people have been displaced from southern Lebanon during the conflict, according to Lebanese officials and researchers.

The latest allegations come as Lebanese and Israeli representatives continue direct talks in Washington aimed at preserving a fragile truce and preventing a broader escalation along the border.

According to the report, the satellite, identified as TEE-01B and developed by Earth Eye Co., was acquired in late 2024 by the Aerospace Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after being launched from China.

The newspaper said Iranian commanders directed the satellite to track key U.S. military installations, citing time-stamped coordinates, orbital analysis and imagery purportedly showing surveillance activity before and after missile and drone strikes carried out in March.

The report added that Iran gained access to satellite control infrastructure through Emposat, a Beijing-based firm operating commercial ground stations across multiple regions, enabling data transmission and operational support.China’s foreign ministry denied the allegations, saying in a statement that claims linking Beijing to the reported activities were fabricated.

“Recently, some forces have been keen on fabricating rumors and maliciously associating them to China,” the ministry said, adding that China “firmly opposes this kind of practice driven by ulterior motives.”Reuters could not independently verify the Financial Times report.

The development, if confirmed, would underscore the increasing role of commercial satellite capabilities in modern conflict, particularly in providing real-time intelligence for targeting and surveillance operations.

The Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) said its analysis of satellite imagery and open-source data showed activity “consistent with military assistance” to the RSF at a base in Asosa, in Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, between late December 2025 and late March 2026.The RSF has been engaged in a conflict with Sudan’s army since April 2023.

Sudan’s military had previously accused Ethiopia of allowing drone attacks to be launched from its territory, an allegation Addis Ababa has denied, along with claims it hosts RSF camps.

According to the HRL report, researchers identified repeated arrivals of commercial car carriers at the Asosa base unloading “technicals,” light pickup trucks commonly used by armed groups.

These vehicles were later observed supplying RSF units operating in Sudan’s Blue Nile state.The report said some vehicles were subsequently fitted with mounts capable of carrying heavy machine guns, while objects consistent with .50-calibre weapons were also detected nearby.

Similar vehicles later appeared in open-source imagery from fighting around Al-Kurmuk, a strategic border town approximately 100 km from Asosa.HRL also documented increased logistical activity at the base, including the arrival of shipping containers, fuel tanks and tents capable of housing up to 150 personnel.

Satellite imagery showed expansion at Asosa airport, including a new hangar, concrete pad and defensive positions. The site had previously been used as a drone base.

The findings come as fighting intensifies in Blue Nile state, where an estimated 28,000 people have been displaced this year, including more than 10,000 from Al-Kurmuk alone.

Control of the region remains divided between Sudan’s army and RSF-aligned forces from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.

An interceptor missile likely fired from a U.S.-operated Patriot air defence battery caused or contributed to a pre-dawn explosion that injured dozens of civilians in Bahrain on March 9, according to an analysis by researchers at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies .

The blast, which struck the Mahazza neighbourhood on Sitra island, injured 32 people including children, Bahraini authorities said at the time. Both Bahrain and the United States initially attributed the incident to an Iranian drone attack, with U.S. Central Command stating on social media that a drone had hit a residential area.

In response to Reuters queries, Bahrain said on Saturday for the first time that a Patriot missile was involved in the incident. A government spokesperson said the interceptor successfully engaged an Iranian drone mid-air, adding that the resulting damage and injuries were not caused by a direct ground impact from either the missile or the drone.

Neither Bahrain nor Washington has presented evidence confirming the presence of a drone over the Mahazza neighbourhood. The Pentagon referred questions to U.S. Central Command, which did not immediately respond.

A senior U.S. official said Washington was continuing efforts to counter Iranian drone and missile capabilities and reiterated that U.S. forces do not target civilians, without addressing specific questions about the incident.

The Middlebury analysis, conducted by researchers Sam Lair, Michael Duitsman and Jeffrey Lewis, concluded with moderate-to-high confidence that the missile was launched from a Patriot battery located roughly 7 km southwest of the impact area.

Their findings were based on open-source video, commercial satellite imagery and geolocation techniques independently .Footage reviewed by the researchers showed a missile travelling at low altitude before descending and detonating seconds later. The team traced its trajectory back to a site in Riffa identified as a long-standing Patriot battery location.

Satellite imagery indicated the presence of multiple launchers at the site days before the incident, and the researchers assessed the installation to be consistent with U.S.-operated systems rather than those recently deployed by Bahrain.

External experts consulted by Reuters said they found no reason to dispute the conclusions. Wes Bryant, a former Pentagon targeting advisor, described the findings as “pretty undeniable.”

The researchers said the available evidence suggested the missile detonated mid-air, dispersing fragments over several streets in Mahazza. Analysis of blast patterns and debris distribution indicated damage consistent with an aerial explosion of a Patriot interceptor, including its warhead and remaining propellant.

They said it was possible the missile was targeting a low-flying drone and that a combined detonation occurred, aligning with the Bahraini government’s account. However, they assessed it as less likely that a direct interception took place, citing the direction of damage and the absence of corroborating evidence of a drone.

Audio and visual analysis of verified footage supported the estimated location of the explosion, with specialists noting the delay between visible flash and sound consistent with a detonation several kilometres away. No clear audio evidence of drones or additional missiles was identified, though analysts said such sounds could be faint at that distance.

The incident occurred amid heightened regional tensions and coincided with reported Iranian strikes on infrastructure in Bahrain, including an attack on an oil refinery on Sitra the same night, according to the national oil company. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and is a key security partner in the Gulf, where both countries operate Patriot systems.

Researchers noted that the use of high-cost interceptors against relatively inexpensive drones has been a defining feature of the ongoing conflict, highlighting operational challenges and risks to civilian areas when engagements occur near populated areas.

Bahrain’s government said suggestions of a malfunction or misfire were “factually incorrect.” The Middlebury team said it could not determine definitively why the missile detonated but noted that deviations in trajectory could indicate either a targeting decision or a technical issue.

The Strait of Hormuz, near Bahrain, remains a critical global energy route, carrying about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, and has faced significant disruption during the conflict.