It is utter urban devastation: whole blocks reduced to rubble, smoke rising from fresh ruins, everything covered in the fine, grey dust of explosive demolition. Not a living thing in sight.

The destruction in Yaroun, a small town in southern Lebanon which has been a ground combat zone for less than two weeks, is terrifying testament to the scale and ferocity of Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah.

But the drone footage, verified by The Telegraph earlier this week, leaves many questions unanswered.

How much of the damage was done in recent ground fighting, and how much by Israeli air and artillery strikes in the preceding year? Were there civilians present, and if so how many died? And where is the fighting now?

It is difficult to tell because access is heavily restricted.

On the southern side of the border, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) has imposed military closed zones. It is customarily restrictive of reporting.