In our latest guide Bellingcat researcher Annique Mossou explains how you can use free-to-access satellite data to track the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank… https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/05/17/how-to-use-free-satellite-imagery-to-monitor-the-expansion-of-west-bank-settlements/?utm_source=mstdn
Despite being illegal under international law, settlements in the West Bank have continued to expand. https://press.un.org/en/2016/sc12657.doc.htm
Israel’s Settlements Have No Legal Validity, Constitute Flagrant Violation of International Law, Security Council Reaffirms | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases

14 Delegations in Favour of Resolution 2334 (2016) as United States Abstains The Security Council reaffirmed this afternoon that Israel’s establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders.

You don’t always need to rely on paid satellite tools to carry out research and we show how you can use Google Earth Pro, Google Earth Engine and Sentinel Hub to monitor settlement expansions, highlighting the limitations and advantages of each tool...
We used these tools ourselves to examine settlements in the West Bank in the recent Bellingcat/Scripps documentary A Hidden War, but the techniques and tools outlined can be applied anywhere in the world. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/04/29/the-hidden-war-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank/
The Hidden War in Gaza and the West Bank - bellingcat

Bellingcat and partners Scripps News used open source research and on the ground interviews to cover the war in Gaza and escalations in the West Bank.

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Analysing satellite imagery effectively takes practice. We recently wrote up some of the basic mistakes to avoid when starting out in open source research… https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/04/25/oshit-seven-deadly-sins-of-bad-open-source-research/
OSHIT: Seven Deadly Sins of Bad Open Source Research - bellingcat

Learning to recognise these widespread mistakes will help you judge the quality of open source analysis — or improve your own.

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