The Israeli army again bombed residential buildings in Gaza’s Beit Lahiya, killing at least 19 Palestinians, as civilians in the besieged northern town searched for survivors following an earlier Israeli raid that killed nearly of 100 people.
The latest Israeli bombardment on Tuesday evening hit several houses belonging to the Al Louh family, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza.
The attack came less than a day after the Israeli army bombed a five-story building owned by the Abu Nasr family in Beit Lahiya, killing at least 93 people and injuring dozens more. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 25 children were among the dead.
The Israeli military said it was “investigating reports of the attack”, while its main ally, the United States, described the attack as “horrific”.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said it was “appalled” by the attack, describing it as one of the deadliest attacks in Gaza in almost three months. The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) said the attack on the Abu Nasr family home was among seven “mass casualty incidents” in Gaza in the past week alone.
The intensification of Israel’s air and ground attacks on Beit Lahiya comes as the siege of northern Gaza enters its 26th day.
The Israeli military said it launched the offensive to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping in the territory’s north, although it said earlier this year it had wiped out the Palestinian group – which rules Gaza – in the region.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defense, more than 100,000 people remain trapped in the north without food or water, and dozens more remain buried under the rubble of bombed homes, with rescuers unable to reach them due to the siege and the ongoing Israeli attacks.
Footage of the Israeli assault on the Abu Nasr family home on Tuesday, obtained by Tel Aviv Tribune, showed a dust-covered Palestinian trapped under concrete and steel bars as others attempted to break the walls using pickaxes to free him. Outside the building, several bodies wrapped in blankets lay on the ground.
“Martyrs everywhere”
Ismail Ouaida, a witness, said the Israeli attack occurred without warning.
“As you can see, there are martyrs everywhere,” he said, pointing to two corpses under the rubble. “(There are) bodies hanging on the walls.”
Another Palestinian woman, in footage verified by Tel Aviv Tribune, said she had lost several members of her family.
“My two sons and their entire family were killed. My unmarried daughter was also killed,” the woman said through tears. “And my other daughter and her five children – all killed. What harm have they done? What did these innocent people do to be massacred like this?
Rabie al-Shandagly, a 30-year-old survivor, told the AFP news agency that most of the victims were women and children.
“The explosion happened at night and at first I thought it was a bombing, but when I went out after sunrise I saw people taking the bodies out, limbs and the injured from the rubble,” he said. “People are trying to save the injured, but there are no hospitals or proper medical care. »
At Kamal Adwan Hospital, the main medical facility serving the population of northern Gaza, dozens of injured people arrived for treatment, but the hospital director said there was no staff to treat patients, after Israeli forces arrested most of its employees in a raid. last week.
“Kamal Adwan Hospital and all its surroundings are a war zone. The hospital finds itself without resources; no medical supplies; no medical staff. This is because many of our specialist doctors and surgeons have been detained,” said Dr Hussam Abu Safiya.
He described chaotic scenes with patients and injured people “scattered everywhere” in the hospital and called for urgent international intervention.
The United States and the UN express their concern
In Washington, DC, a spokesperson for the US State Department expressed concern.
“It was a horrible incident with a horrible outcome,” Matthew Miller told reporters. “We contacted the Israeli government to ask what happened here. »
In Geneva, a spokesperson for the UN OHCHR called for a rapid, transparent and detailed investigation.
“It is imperative that Israel allows emergency services access to these sites in northern Gaza. In some cases, rescuers themselves were attacked while trying to reach the injured,” Jeremy Laurence said.
The UN Middle East peace envoy also condemned the attack.
“This horrific strike is part of a recent series of deadly mass casualty incidents alongside a mass displacement campaign in northern Gaza that raises serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law,” it said. Tor Wennesland in a press release.
“I unequivocally condemn the widespread killings and injuries of civilians in Gaza, as well as the endless displacement of the population in Gaza. »
Israel’s year-long war has so far killed at least 43,061 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian officials.