Forensic Architecture

We welcome the court’s decision, which ends years of suffering for these three young men. Our commitment remains strong in support of the legal team as they continue to seek justice for the three that have yet to be exonerated. #MoriaTrialWatch #JusticeForMoria6

Fire in Moria Refugee Camp (English) © Forensic Architecture & Forensis 2023 In the late hours of 8 September 2020, large fires broke out at the migrant camp of Moria in Lesvos, Greece, displacing…

With Forensis, we contributed to the trial as expert witnesses, reconstructing the spread of the fire using videos captured on the night. Our findings contradict the sole witness testimony that originally led to the arrest and conviction of the Moria 6. vimeo.com/802660147

Moria refugee camp fire: Three migrants acquitted The huge fire at the overcrowded camp left some 13,000 people without shelter on the island of Lesbos and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Last week, the Juvenile Court in Lesvos finally acquitted three of the ‘Moria 6’—six young asylum seekers who were falsely accused and convicted of starting the fire that destroyed the Moria refugee camp in 2020—ending years of unjust imprisonment. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

For decades, Israel has routinely destroyed the dense and winding fabric of Palestinian camps and neighbourhoods, which gave Palestinians an advantage that offset the occupier’s technological capabilities. By contrast, the housing blocks proposed in Egypt's plan can be easily invaded and monitored.

(3) Raid Routes: Over the last 17 months, we identified 13 raid routes created by Israel, extending into the Gaza Strip from Israeli bases east of the perimeter. The Egyptian master plan includes provisions for expanding these routes to the sea, allowing Israel the means to invade and bisect Gaza.

(2) Security corridors: Since October 2023, Israel has constructed a 6km-wide impenetrable barrier along Wadi Gaza and expanded the buffer zone along the border with Egypt. The Egyptian master plan incorporates this de facto reality.

(1) Buffer Zone: Since October 2023, Israel has destroyed all structures within 1-1.5km of the Gaza perimeter. Egypt's plan effectively endorses the erasure of Palestinian neighbourhoods within this zone, rezoning them for agricultural, investment, and industrial purposes.

Egypt's plan for Gaza’s reconstruction (presented on 4 March) includes an architectural master plan that carries forward key elements of Israel’s designed destruction of Gaza, with its proposal for (1) a ‘buffer zone’, (2) security corridors, and (3) raid routes.

Satellite images from 19 January reveal ongoing destruction of urban and civilian infrastructure in Rafah and in proximity to the Netzarim Corridor, even as the Israeli military was reportedly withdrawing from the latter area. Two UNWRA schools were among the destroyed facilities.

The majority of attacks on civilians that we identified were concentrated in Rafah, and along or in proximity to Salah al-Din and al-Rashid Roads, the two major arteries by which civilians were permitted to return to the north.

We have continued to track Israeli military conduct since the ceasefire came into effect on 19 January. Our analysis confirmed 16 attacks on civilians and multiple incidents in which urban and civilian infrastructure was destroyed between 19 January and 9 February. tinyurl.com/FA-ceasefire...

Our ongoing research into the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian villages understands the Nakba not only as a historical event, but also an ongoing strategy of colonial erasure that Israel continues to implement today.

Until now, there was little documentation of the ethnic cleansing and destruction of al-Dawayima. Aerial images (1945-2024) reveal the systematic erasure of the village & gradual construction of present-day Israeli colonies of Karmei Katif, Amatzia & Bnei Dekalim, built over the village’s remains.

Central to our investigation were ‘memory maps’ of al-Dawayima produced by Mohammad Rajab Abu Khudra with the help of witnesses to the massacre. The survivors we interviewed used these maps to provide invaluable details about the Israeli attack and the village’s layout, aiding our reconstruction.

Palestinian survivors identified the location of the massacre as having taken place outside the ‘Tur al-Zagh' cave where civilians had fled as Israeli forces invaded. Using imagery, maps, and testimonies from former residents, we reconstructed al-Dawayima and Tur al-Zagh in 3D.

The Massacre at Tur Al-Zagh: Al-Dawayima, 29 October 1948 (Trailer) In collaboration with Palestine Land Society and working first-hand with Palestinian survivors of the 1948 Nakba, FA has uncovered new evidence related to a major…

NEW: w/ Palestine Land Society & Palestinian survivors, we uncovered evidence of a massacre carried out by Israel during the 1948 Nakba in the village of al-Dawayima, identifying the likely locations of the massacre & mass grave where victims were buried: forensic-architecture.org/investigatio...

We're looking to work with an early career researcher. Deadline to apply is 27 February 2025. More info: jobs.gold.ac.uk/vacancy/rese...

The Grenfell Tower Fire: Situated Testimonies (Trailer) The Grenfell Tower Fire was a generational tragedy for London and the UK, ultimately claiming 72 lives. Using a technique called 'situated testimony',…

Following news of the proposed demolition of Grenfell tower, we're reminded of the testimonies shared with us by those impacted by the fire. Together, we modelled former homes within the tower, specifically the features that exacerbated this tragedy. Watch: forensic-architecture.org/investigatio...

Thursday briefing: The outlandish plan to turn Gaza into a ‘riviera of the Middle East’ In today’s newsletter: Donald Trump’s proposal is an attempt to reshape political reality that has historical precedent, explains architect and researcher Eyal Weizman

'These are the type of politics you’d expect of the British empire in the 19th century,' says Eyal Weizman on Trump’s colonial plans for Gaza. 'To simply erase Gaza and turn it into a riviera is a way to continue the work of destruction by construction': www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

Israel’s widespread attacks on the fishing and agricultural sectors, combined with the repeated targeting of foreign aid, has had a compounding effect, driving mass food scarcity and famine. Our findings: forensic-architecture.org/investigatio...

Our new report documents the port’s destruction, the latest chapter in a decades-long history of violent Israeli siege of Gaza’s sea space. Full report: content.forensic-architecture.org/wp-content/u...

FA was commissioned to evidence the destruction of two fishing vessels belonging to the Al-Hassi family. We established a timeline of Israeli attacks on the port’s sea wall and the vessels docked there. Read the investigation: forensic-architecture.org/investigatio...

NEW INVESTIGATION: Israeli forces repeatedly attacked Gaza’s main port in the week following 7 Oct 2023. By Jan 2024, after months of continued attacks, all docked vessels had been rendered non-operational, devastating Gaza’s fishing industry and increasing Palestinian dependence on foreign aid.

'Oil giant Marathon Petroleum is fighting an expanded class action lawsuit fueled by an investigation by the Guardian and Forensic Architecture, which examined a massive toxic blaze at the company’s sprawling refinery in south-west Louisiana in 2023', @theguardian.com reports today