TEHRAN (Iran News) Palestinians in Gaza woke up to scenes of devastation following an Israeli airstrike that hit a camp near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah.
The attack led to a fire that engulfed tents housing displaced people, killing at least four and injuring about 70 others.
“What happened was that we woke up to smoke, flames, fire, and burning pieces falling on the tents from every direction,” said Om Ahmad Radi, a survivor, speaking to Al Jazeera.
“The fire trucks couldn’t get here. There were so many burned and charred bodies all over the place. The explosions terrified us inside and outside the tents,” she added, describing the night as “horrible and brutal.”
Israeli jets targeted the area, and the subsequent explosion set off a fire that spread swiftly through the camp. Rescue teams have been working to find survivors amidst the chaos, as the fire continued to rage.
Videos from the scene captured massive flames and the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Civil Defense units, already stretched thin from earlier operations at the Bureij refugee camp, struggled to respond quickly due to the scale of the fire.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing loud explosions and suggested that incendiary bombs may have been used, which contributed to the rapid spread of the fire across the tents, many of which were made from flammable materials like plastic and wood.
The Israeli military claimed that the strike targeted “terrorists operating within a command and control complex” near the hospital, though it did not provide evidence for these claims. As in previous strikes, Israel alleged that Hamas was using civilian infrastructure to plan attacks.
The hospital’s reception area was quickly filled with wounded survivors and the bodies of those killed in the attack. Rescue efforts are ongoing as authorities work to control the fire and assess the full extent of the damage.
In Gaza, at least 42,227 people have been killed and 98,464 injured in Israeli genocidal war since October 2023.
- source : tasnim
