Israel has destroyed more than 1,000 buildings in Gaza City’s Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods since its ground invasion began on Aug. 6, the Palestinian Civil Defence said Sunday, warning that hundreds of people remain trapped under the rubble.
The agency said shelling and blocked access routes have prevented rescue workers from reaching many areas, while hospitals are overwhelmed by casualties. “There are grave concerns about the continued incursion of Israeli forces into Gaza City, at a time when field crews lack the capacity to deal with the intensity of the ongoing Israeli attacks,” Civil Defence said in a statement.
The group said there is no safe area in Gaza, with civilians targeted in homes, shelters and even displacement camps. Israeli tanks have pushed into Sabra as part of Israel’s effort to seize Gaza City and force close to 1 million residents southward.
The Civil Defence warning comes amid fears that Israel plans to demolish much of Gaza City as it did in Rafah, a campaign rights advocates say could amount to an attempt to depopulate Gaza.
At least three people, including a child, were killed in a strike on an apartment building on al-Jalaa Street, Gaza’s emergency services said. Further north, in the devastated Jabalia refugee camp, residents reported a series of explosions.
The enclave has also been gripped by famine. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Sunday that eight more people, including two children, died from hunger, raising the total to 289 malnutrition-related deaths since the war began nearly two years ago.
Israeli forces have also repeatedly opened fire on Palestinians gathered at aid distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a program backed by Israel and the United States, according to Palestinian officials.
