Israeli military operations across Gaza have resulted in the deaths of at least 75 Palestinians, with rescue teams struggling to recover bodies from the debris following a devastating airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City, described by local civil defense as a "horrific massacre."
Mahmoud Basel, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence, told Al Jazeera that the Israeli military provided no prior warning before the Saturday attack on a home in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood, which claimed at least 16 lives, including women and children.
“This was an outright massacre—a building packed with civilians,” Basel said, estimating that around 85 people remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Hamed Keheel, a displaced Palestinian at the scene, described the chaos: “We were jolted awake by explosions, screams, and falling debris.” The strike occurred on the second day of Eid al-Adha, a time meant for celebration.
“Instead of dressing our children for Eid, we’re pulling the bodies of women and children from the ruins,” Keheel said, condemning the Israeli occupation.
Hassan Alkhor, a local resident, identified the targeted building as belonging to the Abu Sharia family. “May God judge the Israeli forces and Netanyahu for this,” he told Al Jazeera.
According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli military claimed the strike killed Asaad Abu Sharia, a senior figure in the Mujahideen Brigades, accused of involvement in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. Hamas confirmed the deaths of Asaad and his brother, Ahmed Abu Sharia, in a Telegram statement, denouncing the attack as part of a pattern of “brutal civilian massacres.”
On the same day, Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians near a Rafah aid distribution point operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The incident, one of several deadly attacks near GHF sites in recent weeks, has claimed 118 lives in less than two weeks.
Witness Abu Hadid reported that Israeli forces fired on civilians from armored vehicles near the aid center, first shooting into the air before targeting the crowd. One woman, speaking to Al Jazeera, recounted her husband’s death while he sought food for their children. “He felt he was walking to his death, but he went to find rice for our starving kids,” she said, having begged him to stay.
The GHF, a controversial U.S.-backed group managing aid distribution under Israeli protection since late May, has replaced long-standing U.N. and charity networks. Critics argue that GHF’s operations violate humanitarian neutrality, accusing it of enabling Israel’s control over Gaza and contributing to ethnic cleansing efforts. The group halted aid distribution on Saturday, citing “direct threats” from Hamas, which the latter denied to Reuters.
The United Nations, refusing to work with GHF, has warned that Gaza’s 2.3 million residents face famine risk after an 11-week Israeli blockade, with acute malnutrition among young children nearly tripling.
As Israeli attacks persist, Gaza’s health authorities reported over 300 miscarriages in an 80-day period, driven by malnutrition, stress, and lack of medical supplies like iron supplements and prenatal vitamins. Brenda Kelly, an obstetrician at Oxford University Hospital, told Al Jazeera that Gaza is “losing a future generation” due to a surge in stillbirths, miscarriages, and premature births.
Kelly linked the crisis to Israel’s use of hunger as a weapon, noting that malnutrition restricts fetal growth, a leading cause of pregnancy loss. Surviving infants face lifelong health risks, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health disorders, compounded by displacement and trauma.
Source: Al Jazeera
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