Earth Observation for Justice in Gaza: Ethical and Legal Implications

Earth Observation (EO) has the potential to play a transformative role in documenting genocide in Gaza, supporting accountability efforts, and advancing justice. However, access to satellite imagery and the ability to analyze it remains highly unequal. The communities most affected often lack the resources, funding, and political leverage needed to obtain and utilize EO data effectively. As a result, systematic destruction and human rights violations risk remaining underreported or invisible, limiting the ability of local actors to advocate for justice and recognition. Despite the availability of EO technologies, significant barriers exist in applying this data for humanitarian and legal purposes. High-resolution satellite imagery is often restricted, leaving affected populations reliant on lower-resolution or outdated datasets. By highlighting these barriers, this research underscores the urgent need for ethical frameworks that ensure EO is used for justice rather than reinforcing existing power asymmetries. Furthermore, this study explores the legal applications of satellite imagery as evidence in international accountability mechanisms, including its potential role in supporting cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Satellite data has increasingly been used as evidence in genocide investigations, and its integration into justice frameworks could strengthen efforts to hold responsible parties accountable. However, geopolitical control over EO data raises ethical concerns about whose experiences are validated and whose remain obscured. Beyond legal applications, EO can empower local communities by providing scientific evidence of atrocities and destruction, supporting advocacy and accountability initiatives. This work examines the ethical and legal dimensions through a case study focusing on Gaza. It calls for a decolonial approach to space technologies, where EO is leveraged not as a tool of surveillance and geopolitical control, but as an instrument of justice and accountability for those most impacted by genocide. By addressing both the ethical and legal challenges of EO for justice in Gaza, this research advocates for a more inclusive and ethical use of space technology, ensuring satellite data is mobilized to document genocide and actively support accountability efforts.