‘Tragic scenes’ after Israel withdraws from Gaza City’s industrial area: Civil defence
Gaza’s civil defence has said that dozens of bodies are scattered in alleys and inside destroyed houses in the industrial area of Gaza City.
“The scene now in the industrial area is very difficult and tragic after the occupation army withdrew from it,” the statement on Telegram said, adding that the forces set many houses on fire before the pull-back.
The civil defence also said that its crews were working to recover the bodies. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, said the troop withdrawal was believed to be “a tactical withdrawal and redeployment of the military”.
Footage shows destruction in western Gaza City
Video published by the Palestinian Information Center has documented the widespread destruction left behind by Israeli troops in the western neighbourhoods of Gaza City, in the northern Strip.
The video comes after the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area, which our correspondent says is believed to be a tactical move before redeployment. Entire blocks appeared to be levelled, while other buildings were partially destroyed, and streets are piled high with rubble on both sides.
#شاهد
عقب انسحاب جيش الاحتلال .. مشاهد للدمار في مناطق غرب مدينة غزة pic.twitter.com/vKJGmhMvOR
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) July 12, 2024
‘Many bodies still in the streets or trapped inside’ homes
Israel’s brutal incursion of western Gaza for the past few days keeps unfolding with civil defence crews and paramedics working hard to get to areas that have been heavily bombed by the Israeli military within the past 48 hours, during nighttime, when people were still inside these residential buildings. Many of these bodies are still in the streets or trapped inside.
They bombed many homes in the western part of Gaza, leaving behind trails of devastation and destruction. The Israeli military was also operating aggressively in the western part in the early hours of this morning. It pulled out partially and repositioned itself in what seems to be a redeployment … in the centre part of Gaza City.
All of this happened while at the same time, the air force carried out relentless attacks in Nuseirat in the central part of the Gaza Strip, as well as the eastern part of Khan Younis.
The heavy artillery can be heard clearly from where we are reporting. This has not only caused further civilian casualties, but has put more pressure on health facilities, and at the same time, caused further destruction.
Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa area teeming with decomposing bodies after Israeli forces retreat
Bodies can be seen decomposing on the streets of Tal al-Hawa in Gaza City after Israeli forces retreated from the area, according to social media footage verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, Sanad.
Most of the people killed were women and children, according to local Palestinian sources.
60 bodies have now been found in Tal al-Hawa: Gaza’s civil defence
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence, has told Al Jazeera that at least 60 bodies have now been found in Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood.
“The Gaza civil defence teams moved in to rescue survivors. They found dozens killed. Most of those killed are families, women, and children. Some bodies were eaten by dogs,” Basal told us.
“At least 60 bodies were counted. Some bodies were buried on the spot. Others were taken to nearby hospitals. Many bodies are still under the rubble. The Israeli forces are stationed nearby and the rescue efforts are interrupted regularly,” he added.
Hamas urges international accountability for killings in Gaza City
The Palestinian group has accused Israel of committing “heinous abuses” in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City. Israeli forces withdrew from the area this morning, and Gaza’s Civil Defence reports the discovery of at least 60 bodies in the aftermath.
“The atrocities revealed after the terrorist occupation army’s withdrawal from Tal al-Hawa in southwest Gaza City, after days of incursion and intense bombing that targeted all aspects of life, are war crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing,” Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas called on the UN and international community, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, to take immediate steps to end a “war of extermination” that Israel is waging against Palestinians.
