26 dead, 60 missing in Israeli airstrike on Gaza

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, the Civil Defense in Gaza announced the recovery of 26 bodies, including children and women, following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential building in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.

The airstrike has left approximately 60 people missing, most of whom are believed to be children and women trapped under the rubble of the five-story building.

Mouin Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense, told Agence France-Presse (AFP), "The airstrike occurred around 02:00 a.m., but artillery shelling prevented rescuers and citizens from reaching the site for over six hours," explaining that "Israeli tanks and armored vehicles were positioned a few hundred meters from the building, firing at rescuers, while Israeli drones also fired, hindering the rescue efforts."

Basal reported, "Twenty victims, including four women and three children, ten of whom were killed in a rocket strike by Israeli aircraft targeting the Aqel family's home in Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza."

In Beit Lahia, Jaber Ghabayen, a relative of the targeted home's owner, said, "I heard the strike from the warplane, the area shook. I was at my relatives' house, and we all felt that death was near." He added, "What can we do? We have no means; there were no militants in the house, yet they bombed it."

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes fired two missiles, separated by a few seconds, at the building, which housed more than 75 displaced citizens. The airstrike completely destroyed the building, leveling it to the ground and causing significant damage to several nearby homes.

Dozens of citizens gathered around the targeted home, with some placing the bodies of the deceased on the ground. Many of the victims' bodies, reduced to fragments, were wrapped in blankets and placed by the roadside. Some citizens transported the bodies on a donkey-drawn cart to bury them near the home.

In a statement, Hamas condemned the bombing of the building in Beit Lahia, calling it a "massacre and a continuation of the war of extermination and revenge against unarmed civilians."

Since Oct.7, the Israeli war led to extensive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More than 43,000 Gazans have been killed, with a significant portion of the casualties being women and children. The war has also resulted in the displacement of over 1.9 million people, nearly 86% of Gaza's prewar population.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated rapidly, with shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. The United Nations and various humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called for a cease-fire and increased aid to the region.