70 martyrs in Israeli massacre in al-Maghazi camp, toll likely to rise

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
25 Dec 2023 03:38
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The Gaza Government Media Office cautions against the Israeli army committing new massacres against civilians in the Strip.

The bodies of scores of martyrs in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza, following the massacre that Israeli occupation forces committed in the al-Maghazi refugee camp. (Social media)

Dozens of Palestinians, mostly children and women, were killed and injured in a new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces overnight on Sunday into Monday, targeting numerous homes in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

Medical sources at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed the arrival of the bodies of 70 martyrs as a result of the Israeli artillery shelling and airstrikes that targeted the refugee camp. The sources added that a number of injuries were brought to the hospital, including ones it critical condition.

Israeli warplanes carried out more than 50 consecutive airstrikes early Monday, including a series of belts of fire on the al-Nuseirat, al-Bureij, and al-Maghazi refugee camps.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf al-Qudra, mentioned that the Israeli forces were shelling the main roads between the camps in the central area to hinder the arrival of ambulances and civil defense to the targeted areas.

Al-Qudra confirmed that "the number of martyrs from the al-Maghazi massacre has risen to 70 so far." Earlier, he said the strike destroyed a "residential block" and that the "toll is likely to rise" given the large number of families residing there.

#Watch | The bodies of scores of Palestinian martyrs in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in #Gaza, following the new massacre that Israeli occupation forces committed against several families in the densely-populated al-Maghazi refugee camp.#Palestine https://t.co/PYP4wCgw54
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 25, 2023

Similarly, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the Israeli forces are preventing ambulances from reaching the targeted areas in al-Bureij and al-Maghazi, noting that a significant number of martyrs that were in the al-Maghazi massacre were displaced individuals.

The Gaza Government Media Office cautioned against the Israeli army committing new massacres against civilians, particularly as these camps are densely populated with closely aligned houses.

Simultaneously, Israeli artillery shelled across the central region and Khan Younis, our correspondent reported. In the Maan area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Israeli forces flattened seven residential buildings onto their inhabitants, he pointed out, indicating that the current pattern of shelling and intense attacks typically precedes ground incursion attempts.

Prior to the al-Maghazi massacre, the Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that the total death toll of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has now reached 20,424 martyrs, with an additional 54,036 individuals reported injured.

Over the last 24 hours, Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have resulted in the martyrdom of 166 people and left 384 others injured, the Gaza Government Media Office highlighted.

It mentioned that the Israeli occupation forces requested eight neighborhoods in the central governorate to evacuate to the Deir al-Balah area, and within 48 hours of issuing that request, they committed five massacres in the same region, leading to the martyrdom of 28 individuals and injury of 88 others.

The Office pointed out that the Israeli military deliberately misleads civilians, predominantly children and women, aiming to inflict the highest possible human losses and casualties in a dual war crime: forcing civilians into forced displacement from their homes and executing them by direct and intentional bombardment.