ALBAWABA- Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 61 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn Thursday, including 46 in Gaza City and the northern areas of the Strip.
The latest wave of bombardment has left behind scenes of devastation, including footage of a bloodied Palestinian child pleading for help amid the rubble.
According to the Civil Defense in Gaza, two massacres were committed in less than 12 hours in Jabalia. Among the victims were four Civil Defense workers killed in the Yarmouk area, where recently arrived Egyptian rubble-removal vehicles were also targeted.
Rescue workers reported finding severe burn marks on many of the victims’ bodies—further evidence of the intensity and brutality of the strikes.
One of the deadliest attacks took place in Jabalia al-Balad, where 15 displaced people, sheltering in a home near the Halawa roundabout, were killed in a direct hit.
Meanwhile, Israeli media confirmed the death of a soldier and injuries to at least seven others in what was described as a “difficult security incident” in Gaza, amid heavy explosions.
In response, Hamas issued a scathing statement: “Netanyahu speaks of the Holocaust while Palestinians are burned alive in Gaza in a modern-day Holocaust. Gaza today is the Auschwitz of the 21st century—the ashes are Palestinian, the perpetrator is Zionist, and the world remains silent.”
Amid growing international concern, Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir threatened a broader ground operation: “If we do not see progress in the return of the hostages shortly, we will expand our activities to a larger and more significant operation.”
