Israeli Assault
Palestinian medics have retrieved more than 60 bodies from under the rubble in the Shejaiya neighborhood in Gaza City following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area, according to the Civil Defence Agency.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the agency, revealed this tragic news during a press conference on Thursday, stating that “dozens of bodies are still trapped under the rubble in the neighborhood.”
Basal emphasized the extensive damage inflicted by Israeli forces, which destroyed more than 85 percent of the residential buildings in Shejaiya, rendering the area “a disaster area that is not suitable for habitation.”
The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had concluded its military operation in Shejaiya after a two-week incursion, which left behind a massive trail of destruction.
Basal also noted that at least 50 people are believed to have been killed in a separate Israeli offensive in Tel al-Hawa, located west of Gaza City. He added that “many families are trapped by the Israeli offensive, with rescuers unable to reach them.”
Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation for its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.
The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 38,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and nearly 88,300 others have been injured, according to local health authorities.
The ongoing war, now nine months in duration, has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel now stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. The court’s latest ruling has ordered Israel to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
The international community continues to call for an end to the violence and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of its civilian population.
