A Palestinian girl surveys the wreckage of a building following an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia, located in the northern Gaza Strip, on October 29, 2024. — AFP
The Gaza Civil Defense Agency reported on Tuesday that an overnight Israeli air raid resulted in the death of 93 individuals in a residential structure within the northern district of Beit Lahia. "The death toll from the attack on the Abu Nasr family home in Beit Lahia has climbed to 93, with approximately 40 still unaccounted for beneath the debris," stated agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal in an updated count. The Israeli military has stated it is "investigating the reports."
Rabie Al Shandagly, 30, who had sought refuge in a nearby school in Beit Lahia, described the scene: "The explosion occurred at night, and initially, I believed it was shelling. However, upon venturing out after sunrise, I witnessed people extricating bodies, limbs, and the injured from the rubble." He added, "Most of the victims are women and children, and despite efforts to save the injured, there are no functioning hospitals or adequate medical care."
On Tuesday, Palestinians combed through the ruins of the building, removing the deceased, while others grieved over the bodies of their relatives. A photograph captured a charred body with long hair protruding from a window of the Beit Lahia building. The bodies of 15 individuals killed in the strike were transported to Kamal Adwan Hospital, according to its director, Hussam Abu Safia. He reported that 35 wounded, predominantly children, were being treated at the hospital.
Safia noted, "We are still receiving numerous martyrs and wounded," and highlighted the hospital's struggle to treat patients due to staff and medication shortages. "There is nothing left in the Kamal Adwan Hospital except basic first aid supplies after the army detained our medical team and workers when they stormed the hospital during the military operation in Jabalia," Safia explained.
Last week, the Gaza Health Ministry claimed Israeli troops had raided the hospital, while the Israeli military asserted it was operating in the vicinity. Hamas condemned the Beit Lahia attack, stating, "The enemy has perpetrated another horrific massacre against our people, and northern Gaza is undergoing a campaign of ethnic cleansing and systematic displacement."
Since October 6, the military has launched a comprehensive air and ground assault in northern Gaza, particularly in the areas of Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun, described as an operation to thwart Hamas militants from regrouping. In a statement released Tuesday morning, the military confirmed it had conducted multiple ground and air strikes in Jabalia over the past day, resulting in the deaths of approximately 40 militants. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been compelled to evacuate northern Gaza since the offensive commenced, with the Civil Defense Agency reporting hundreds of fatalities.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
