The bombardment has reportedly trapped hundreds of civilians under rubble and strained emergency services
More than 1,000 buildings have been destroyed in Gaza City’s Zaytoun and Sabra neighborhoods since Israeli forces began a new ground incursion this month, Al Jazeera has reported, citing Palestinian Civil Defence.
Israel has said the operation is necessary for national security, with the goal to eliminate Hamas infrastructure.
In a statement on Sunday, Civil Defence reported that continued shelling and blocked access routes have made it nearly impossible for emergency crews to reach hundreds of trapped civilians or respond to reports of missing persons. Hospitals in the area are reportedly overwhelmed.
”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,” the organization said.
Israeli tanks have reportedly advanced into Sabra, and heavy bombardment has been reported across the city. Al Jazeera quoted medical sources saying at least 51 people were killed on Sunday, including 27 in Gaza City, and 24 others who were seeking aid.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said eight more people died of hunger on Sunday, bringing the total number of malnutrition-related deaths since the war began to 289, including 115 children.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warned that famine was now the “last calamity” affecting Gaza. “People are enduring hell in all shapes,” he said, calling for full access for aid groups and international journalists.
The Israeli military announced the start of an operation to take over Gaza City last week, targeting Hamas command centers, weapons caches, and tunnel networks embedded in civilian areas. Zaytoun and Sabra have previously been identified by Israeli officials as strategic zones for the militant group’s activity.
The conflict in Gaza began after an incursion by Hamas into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. Around 50 of them remain in captivity. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 62,000 people have been killed and around 156,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave since then.
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