A recent Israeli airstrike near a bustling market in Gaza City tragically resulted in the deaths of almost two dozen Palestinians, as reported by the Palestinian Civil Defense rescue service.
Among the 22 reported fatalities were six women and nine children, victims of the assault near Firas Market in eastern Gaza City. The Wafa news agency, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, stated that all those killed had been sheltering in a warehouse struck during the attack.
In response, the Israeli military released a statement asserting that their strike targeted “two Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip,” offering no further identification. They also contended that the reported casualty figures did not match their intelligence, though they refrained from providing their own estimate of the dead.
Israel initiated a ground invasion of Gaza City last week, citing the objective of dismantling Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, from what they claim is one of its final strongholds. Hamas was responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked the current conflict. The Israeli military maintains that its operations are precisely aimed at militants and their operational infrastructure, like weapons caches and tunnels, acknowledging these targets are frequently situated within civilian areas.
The ground invasion of Gaza City, the territory’s most populous urban center, has drawn increasing international scrutiny and condemnation. This offensive has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands, many for the second or third time, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis throughout the Gaza Strip.
Recent days have seen growing diplomatic frustration, with nearly a dozen nations formally recognizing a Palestinian state, a move that has understandably angered Israeli officials.
Prior to the ground invasion, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for Gaza City’s entire population, instructing hundreds of thousands to move to a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.
But many civilians remained in the city, with some saying they could not afford to leave and others skeptical that anywhere in Gaza was safe to flee to.
Beyond the warehouse incident, Wafa also reported that five more individuals – four women and one man – died in separate airstrikes across various parts of Gaza City on Wednesday.
Furthermore, the civil defense confirmed the recovery of four bodies from the ruins of a building in Nuseirat, central Gaza, approximately seven miles south of Gaza City, following another strike. The Israeli military has not commented on this specific incident.
Nedal Abu Sherbi, a 37-year-old Gaza City resident, shared his predicament, stating he lacked the means to leave and, even if he did, couldn’t fathom enduring another displacement.
He recounted a previous attempt to find refuge in southern Gaza earlier in the war, describing the experience as “very humiliating.”
“If I am going to suffer anyway, then I am staying here,” explained Mr. Abu Sherbi, a freelance journalist now residing in a school in the once-affluent Rimal neighborhood, his own home having been destroyed.
He noted that Israeli forces seemed to have “full control” over numerous neighborhoods, though not his current area of refuge. However, he stressed the impossibility of venturing more than a few blocks from his shelter in any direction.
“While conditions in Rimal are comparatively better than other regions, airstrikes remain a constant threat,” he stated. “We are unable to sleep through the night due to the continuous barrages.”
Prior to the evacuation order, the United Nations reported approximately one million residents in Gaza City, representing half of the territory’s total population. Israeli officials estimate that around 640,000 individuals have since evacuated the city.
Over recent months, Israel has systematically leveled vast sections of Gaza City. Even before the ground offensive commenced last week, the Israeli military claimed control over 40% of the city, predominantly its eastern districts.
Satellite imagery analyzed by The New York Times reveals the decimation of certain areas, with the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, for instance, turning into a barren wasteland over just a few weeks in August, as most of its buildings were reduced to rubble.
In recent weeks, a UN-backed panel of food experts declared a state of famine in Gaza City, while a UN commission investigating the war accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the region. Israel has vehemently denied both allegations.
Abu Bakr Bashir contributed reporting.