On a patch of sandy land between collapsed and burnt buildings and shattered cars, civil defense men move from one body to another, wrapping the remains of the victims of the ongoing Gaza war, which has lasted for 11 weeks. As Israel fights to gain complete control over the northern part of the strip, the scene in the Jabalia refugee camp reflects the deadly danger posed by continuous airstrikes and assaults on Palestinians. These scenes were captured in footage released by the Palestinian civil defense, which also shows a worker digging by hand in an attempt to recover a charred body apparently trapped under the rubble.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported today, Sunday, that the number of Palestinian casualties due to the conflict has reached 20,424, with thousands of other bodies believed to be still under the debris. Almost all the residents of Gaza, totaling 2.3 million people, have been displaced, living in one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Israel claims to have achieved near-total operational control over northern Gaza and is preparing to expand its ground assault to include other areas; however, residents of Jabalia reported that airstrikes continue, as well as bombardments from Israeli tanks, which they said had moved into the city yesterday, Saturday.
Israel announced today that 154 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of its ground offensive in response to a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, according to Israel. Palestinians from Khan Younis in the south were seen searching through the rubble for their belongings after a recent airstrike. Standing among the debris, Sami Breese, a resident of Khan Younis, said that his home had been destroyed and that the airstrike occurred in an area that was supposed to be safe. He added, “This is the security and safety that Israel claims.”
American officials have stated that they want and expect Israel to soon transition its military operations in Gaza to a less intensive phase, focusing on more targeted operations against Hamas leadership and its infrastructure.
