High-resolution satellite imagery of some of Israel’s most sensitive locations—including the Dimona Nuclear Research Center, military installations, and areas in Gaza showing IDF movements—is now widely accessible via Google Maps and Apple Maps. Posts circulating on X and other platforms reveal that these images have a resolution as sharp as 0.4 meters, far surpassing what was previously made available to the public.
This shift in image quality marks a significant development in the realm of open-source intelligence. With crystal-clear satellite views now readily available, actors ranging from adversarial governments to private analysts—and even casual users—can obtain detailed visuals of strategic Israeli sites. This change reflects both advancements in imaging technologies and evolving international regulations governing satellite data.
Back in 1997, the U.S. passed the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment, a law specifically designed to limit the commercial distribution of high-resolution satellite photos of Israel. The amendment, a product of Israel’s lobbying efforts in Washington, effectively curbed American companies from selling or publishing such images without federal approval, at a time when the U.S. dominated commercial satellite imaging.
That dynamic shifted significantly by 2017. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded that satellite imagery produced outside the United States had surpassed what American companies were offering in terms of resolution. As a result, mapping platforms gained access to foreign-sourced images that weren’t bound by Kyl-Bingaman restrictions, allowing for sharper and more detailed depictions of Israeli territory.
Oxford researchers Andrea Zerbini and Michael Fradley highlighted in a 2018 study that images of Israel exceeding the 2-meter threshold had already been circulating for years. Firms like Airbus and South Korea’s Kompsat were offering images at 0.4-meter resolution. This led U.S. authorities in 2021 to formally approve the commercial sale and online publication of images with that same level of clarity.
Since then, it has become relatively easy to view detailed satellite photos of highly sensitive Israeli locations, including Dimona and other key military sites that aren’t shielded underground. Some of these images even show aircraft in mid-mission and ground units moving through Gaza and southern Lebanon.
There is little the Israeli government can do to control this growing exposure. American companies are free to publish these images as long as they adhere to the original parameters of the Kyl-Bingaman Amendment, and global access to high-resolution imagery is now a commercial standard across industries ranging from urban planning and agriculture to mining and academic research. The scale of exposure was illustrated dramatically in 2021 when international outlets published satellite evidence of new construction at Dimona—a revelation that would have been unimaginable under past restrictions.
As this trend continues, the key concern is how Israel plans to respond. So far, the silence from both the Defense Ministry and the IDF spokesperson suggests a policy of deliberate non-engagement. But with sensitive information already out in the open and no signs of the trend reversing, it’s becoming increasingly clear that ignoring the issue may no longer be a viable path forward.
{Matzav.com Israel}