Satellite images show 35% of Gaza’s buildings destroyed or damaged: UN
The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) has compared high-resolution satellite images of Gaza collected on February 29 with images taken before and after the start of the latest conflict.
It found that 35 percent of all buildings in Gaza – 88,868 structures – had been damaged or destroyed. Among these, it identified 31,198 structures as destroyed, 16,908 as severely damaged, and 40,762 as moderately damaged.
This represents an increase of nearly 20,000 damaged structures compared to the previous assessment it did based on images taken in January when the total figure stood at 30 percent.
“The governorates of Khan Younis and Gaza have experienced the most significant rise in damage, with Khan Younis seeing 12,279 additional damaged structures and Gaza experiencing 2,010,” UNOSAT said.
“Khan Younis City has been hit particularly hard, with 6,663 newly destroyed structures.”
Israel aiming to ‘eliminate anything that walks or breathes in Gaza’
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara says Israel’s latest attack on the al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza has shown that, rather than eliminating Hamas, it is attempting to “eliminate anything that walks or breathes in Gaza”.
What’s more, Bishara added, no distinction is being made between the armed wing of Hamas and the government officers carrying out their civic duties.
“Anyone who works for a ministry under Hamas and their relatives is considered punishable by killing,” Bishara said.
Israeli military blows up building at al-Shifa Hospital
Local Palestinian media is reporting that the Israeli military has blown up a building used for specialist care at the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The Israeli military raided al-Shifa on Monday saying it had intelligence that Hamas fighters were sheltering in the medical complex. It said that it killed about 90 Palestinians during the raid, while 300 suspects were interrogated at the complex and more than 160 were detained.
Nine killed as Israeli attack targets home in central Gaza
Israeli bombardment hit a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing nine Palestinians, our colleagues on the ground are reporting. Residential buildings were also hit near Gaza’s northern coast.
Israeli army issues evacuation warning for al-Shifa Hospital
Hani Mahmoud, our colleague on the ground in Gaza, is reporting that the Israeli army is warning the displaced people in al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City to evacuate immediately or it would be bombed. Judging by the pattern of bombing at the hospital and areas around it, it seems like the entire complex will be destroyed, he added.
Al-Shifa Hospital still under siege, nearby buildings bombed
We now have more from Hani Mahmoud, our colleague in Gaza, who is reporting that the Israeli military is still operating aggressively inside the al-Aqsa Hospital building, causing a great deal of damage to the property.
“They demolished the hospital’s entire specialist care centre, a brand new building that was set up to help Palestinians who need surgery,” he said. “The Israeli military is now ordering everyone inside the hospital, including medical staff and patients, to evacuate immediately. Otherwise, the entire facility will be blown up.”
At least 140 people have been killed inside al-Shifa, according to an Israeli military statement, but it hasn’t been verified whether these people were Hamas members as the Israeli military claims, or civilians.
“Meanwhile, an intense bombing campaign also continues in the vicinity of the hospital. More residential buildings are being targeted and destroyed while people are still inside, denied the opportunity to evacuate.”
Israel’s latest attacks hit Gaza City, Deir el-Balah, Nuseirat camp
Israel’s latest round of attacks throughout Gaza have killed and injured dozens of Palestinian civilians, according to Wafa news agency.
Victims include:
- Dozens were killed by missiles, artillery shelling and gunfire in the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
- Dozens were killed by the shelling of homes in al-Mina area, west of Gaza City.
- Dozens were killed or injured from an air strike on a home in Shati camp, west of Gaza City.
- Dozens were killed or injured by the bombardment of a home in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza.
- Nine were killed by the bombardment of a home in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza.
