Entire families were killed during Israel’s attack on Gaza City

The Gaza Strip Civil Defense reported on Friday that Israel Defense Forces left behind the bodies of at least 60 Palestinians after withdrawing from the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza, where victims of the latest Israeli attack were found in rubble, on the streets and “burned in their homes.”

Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for civil defense in Gaza, told Related Press “Entire families” were apparently killed by artillery fire and air strikes in the enclave’s largest city. The city was almost completely destroyed in the first months of Israeli bombing at the end of last year, but many people were able to return to their homes among the ruins.

Al-Jazeera Journalist Mohammad Alsaafin noted on social media that the Patient’s Friends Hospital repaired damage caused by Israeli bombings and resumed operations, just two weeks before Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of several Gaza neighborhoods ahead of their attacks on the city.

“It was destroyed again,” he said.

This clinic in Gaza City was repaired and reopened just two weeks ago after being damaged by the Israeli military. It was destroyed again. https://t.co/F3pWz1Gixy

— Mohammad Alsaafin (@malsaafin) July 12, 2024

“At least 60 bodies were counted,” Basal said of the Tal al-Hawa area. “Some bodies were buried on the spot. Others were taken to nearby hospitals. Many bodies still lie under the rubble. Israeli forces are stationed nearby and rescue efforts are regularly interrupted.”

He added: “Most of those killed are families, women and children. Some bodies were eaten by dogs.”

Fares Afaneh, an emergency official in northern Gaza, said Al-Jazeera that most of the bodies found in Tal al-Hawa “were decomposed because rescue teams could not reach them earlier.”

Rescue workers recovered the victims a day after at least 60 bodies were found throughout the Shuja’iyyah neighborhood, with many more likely buried under the rubble.

British trade union leader Howard Beckett said Western politicians including US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer – two of Israel’s main supporters – were unlikely to comment on the communities in Gaza City that were “wiped out” this week.

“You supported this racist genocide,” Beckett said. “Now arms embargo.”

Israel 🇮🇱 has razed the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in Gaza City 🇵🇸

You won’t hear Biden 🇺🇸 or Starmer 🇬🇧 talking about it. They supported this racist genocide.

Now arms embargo.pic.twitter.com/1Fvw5bMTcm

— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) July 12, 2024

Basal told the AP that many of those killed had left shelters in parts of the city for which Israel had issued an evacuation order.

Staff at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza told aid group ActionAid that they were treating an influx of patients from Gaza City “despite critical shortages of vital medical supplies, equipment and fuel, forcing them to postpone planned surgeries and rely on small generators to keep the facility running.”

“The World Health Organization sent us a small amount of fuel a month ago, which was enough (to keep the hospital running for only one week),” said Dr. Mohammed Salha, the hospital’s deputy director. “Now, more than a month has passed without us receiving the fuel to run the hospital… We hope that our partners from the World Health Organization and United Nations agencies can quickly provide the hospital with the fuel it needs to run, and supply it with medical supplies and medicines so that we can continue to provide our services to injured people.”

“We do not know how long (Israeli forces) will stay in Gaza City and how many casualties we will see in al-Awda Hospital,” he added.

As Shared dreams As reported on Tuesday, hospitals in Gaza City had to be closed this week as the IDF launched an offensive there, and medical personnel transported sick and injured people to already overcrowded medical centers in northern Gaza.

“Gaza’s hospitals are facing overwhelming strain. They must treat those injured in Israeli attacks – many of whom have catastrophic and life-changing injuries – and treat the growing number of patients who have been living without adequate food for months in inhumane, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions,” said Riham Jafari, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator at ActionAid Palestine. “At the same time, there are desperate shortages of essential medicines, equipment and fuel, as well as food and water. More aid must be allowed into Gaza immediately so hospital staff can continue their life-saving work. And there must be a permanent ceasefire now.”

The victims of the attacks on Gaza City have been discovered, a senior Hamas official said on Friday Reuters that Israel was “stalling and wasting time” while both sides worked on a ceasefire with mediators from the United States and Egypt.

“Israel has not taken a clear position on Hamas’ proposal,” the official said. Reutersreferring to a plan for a gradual ceasefire with written guarantees from Israel that it would end attacks by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Hamas had made demands that contradicted the current ceasefire, but did not specify them. Israeli officials also said Reuters on Thursday that “Netanyahu insists that Israel stay along the border between Gaza and Egypt.”