Palestinian rescuers searched for victims in Gaza on Wednesday after Israeli airstrikes that targeted the Jabalia refugee camp, reportedly killing hundreds.
Footage shows damaged buildings, rescue workers and locals pulling victims out of the rubble and covering them with blankets.
An Israeli airstrike reportedly struck apartment blocks in a residential area of the Jabalia refugee camp on Tuesday.
Approximately 400 individuals are believed to have been killed or injured, as reported by the health ministry. Initial reports from Gaza authorities indicated at least 50 casualties resulting from Israeli airstrikes on the camp. However, subsequent estimates suggest that the death toll may have reached 100 and continues to rise, according to local media sources.
A statement from the Hamas military wing also confirmed the deaths of seven captives, including three individuals with foreign passports.
The Israeli side confirmed the strikes, stating that they targeted a high-ranking Hamas commander in the area, according to an IDF spokesperson.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, October 7, firing thousands of rockets as its militants on the ground broke through into Israeli territory, in what the group described as ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’.
Israel responded with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and issued a formal declaration of war on Hamas, warning residents to leave their homes. The military claimed that Hamas locations would be targeted.
Israel’s minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant also announced a ‘complete siege’ of Gaza, cutting off power, food and water. Hamas said its latest military operation was due to the long-running Israeli blockade, raids on West Bank cities and other attacks.
(Source: AFP)
