Rescuers removed bodies from the rubble in Beit Lahiya and dozens of people went missing after the Israeli army bombed a residential building, killing at least 93 people, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza.
Bodies wrapped in shrouds lay in rows as mourners gathered on Tuesday. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 25 children were among the dead.
An estimated 40 people are missing under the rubble, civil defense said of the attack in northern Gaza.
Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal, who confirmed the number of dead and missing, described the complete destruction of a five-story house, adding that the area lacked medical facilities to treat the injured.
A witness, Rabie al-Shandagly, 30, said: “People are trying to save the injured, but there are no hospitals or proper medical care. »
Al-Shandagly, who had taken refuge in a nearby school, added: “The explosion happened at night and at first I thought it was a bombing, but when I went out after sunrise, I saw people pulling out the bodies, limbs and injured people from under the rubble. .”
Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Middle East peace envoy, said: “This horrific strike is part of a series of recent deadly incidents alongside a mass displacement campaign in northern Gaza that raises serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian rules. law.”
A second attack on Beit Lahiya on Tuesday evening killed at least 19 people, according to the Health Ministry.
The Israeli military said it was “studying reports” of the first strike, but did not immediately comment on the second.
Israel’s intensifying air and ground attacks on Beit Lahiya come as the siege of northern Gaza enters its 26th day, with tens of thousands of Palestinians stuck without food, water and medical care.