At least 29 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential building in the east of Gaza City, according to a local hospital.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency reported that the airstrike occurred in the Shejaiya neighbourhood on Tuesday morning, near the al-Hawashi mosque. In addition to the fatalities, more than 40 people were wounded, and rescuers continued searching through the rubble for survivors.
The Israeli military confirmed the attack, stating it had targeted a “senior Hamas terrorist” who was allegedly responsible for orchestrating attacks in the area. The military also emphasized that it took several precautions to minimize harm to civilians, including the use of “precision weapons.”
The Israeli forces accused Hamas of violating international law by using civilians as human shields, further escalating tensions.
Eyewitness Account
Ayub Salim, 26, a resident of the area, described the scene to AFP, saying the building was struck by “multiple missiles.” He described the area as “overcrowded with tents, displaced people, and homes.” Salim recounted the horrifying aftermath: “Shrapnel flew in all directions. Dust and massive destruction filled the entire place, we couldn’t see anything—just the screams and panic of the people. It is truly a horrific massacre.”
Displacement and Destruction
The Shejaiya neighbourhood has been heavily impacted by the ongoing conflict. Last week, thousands of residents fled after Israel’s military ordered the evacuation of the area, citing the destruction of “terrorist infrastructure.” This has added to the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza reported that at least 33 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes over the past 24 hours. The total number of deaths in Gaza since Israel resumed its air and ground campaign against Hamas on 18 March has now reached 1,482.
Over the past three weeks, the conflict has displaced an additional 390,000 people, with approximately two-thirds of Gaza now designated as “no-go” zones or under evacuation orders, according to the UN.
Humanitarian Crisis
The ongoing Israeli blockade has also worsened the situation. The UN has warned that essential supplies such as food, medicine, and fuel have run out due to Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid. The blockade, which has been in place for a month, aims to exert pressure on Hamas but has led to severe suffering for Gaza’s civilian population.
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the blockade, calling it a violation of international law and describing Gaza as “a killing field” where civilians are trapped in “an endless death loop.”
“The floodgates of horror are open,” Guterres added.
Israeli Response
In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected Guterres’ criticisms, accusing him of spreading “slander against Israel.” A spokesperson for Israel, Oren Marmonstein, asserted that there was no shortage of humanitarian aid in Gaza, citing that 25,000 aid trucks had entered the territory over the past 42 days during the ceasefire. He claimed that Hamas had misused this aid to rebuild its war infrastructure.
However, six leading UN humanitarian agencies have contradicted Israel’s statement, describing the situation on the ground as “far from reality,” highlighting the severe lack of essential resources.
The Bigger Picture
Israel’s military actions have been part of a broader campaign to dismantle Hamas, following the devastating cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were taken hostage.
The death toll in Gaza has continued to rise, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting more than 50,840 fatalities since the conflict began. The ongoing violence shows no signs of abating, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
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