Civil Defense machinery 'out of service' as siege deepens fuel crisis

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Oct 2023 06:56

The siege on Gaza, coupled with the violent aggression against the people of the Strip, has turned the debris into prisons holding within them thousands of hostages.

Palestinians walk by the buildings destroyed in the Israeli bombardment on al-Zahra, on the outskirts of Gaza City, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP)

Civil Defense Director in North Gaza, Ahmad al-Kahlout announced that "debris removal operations are taking place under very difficult conditions," highlighting that "fuel shortages will lead to the halt of machinery we use, after that, we will have to dig with our own hands to rescue people from under the rubble."

In turn, reports have been coming out of the Gaza Strip noting that people stuck under the rubble have been reaching out to their friends, family, and acquaintances, whenever possible, letting them know they're still alive under the rubble, what their circumstances are and where they were when the strike hit. The goal is to ultimately guide all possible efforts for them to be rescued at a time when Gaza suffers from a major lack of equipment due to the ongoing siege forced on them by "Israel".

An image has been circulating on social media showing a series of messages between a girl under the rubble, and someone on the outside saying:

"Ghaida, we are under the rubble
But I have my phone with me
No one came to get us out\

And I have been screaming

I don't know if the rest of them are alive
I don't feel anything
But Layal is in my arms
There are only stones above me."

The person on the outside tried to respond to those messages saying "Oh my Goodness!" but unfortunately a notification showed noting that "There was a problem while sending this message."

With thousands still under the rubble as the civil defense faces multiple challenges to carry out debris removal operations due to the Israeli siege, people in the Gaza Strip are afraid. They could be terrified knowing that their loved ones, who would have survived the genocidal Israeli strikes, could die under the rubble, because of the murderous policy implemented by the Israeli occupation government.

The genocidal policy against Palestinians coupled with the deafening silence from the international community that now proves to be complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, holds thousands of people in Gaza hostages of the debris they dropped over their heads.

However, from the darkness sometimes light emerges. In a recent video from the Strip, a boy called Anas emerges from beneath the rubble on his own. He makes his way out and once he becomes visible, a member of the civil defense delves into the rubble to help the little "hero" out as he smiles despite the dust, the debris, the fear, and the pain.

The video has been warming the hearts of many at a time when Gaza has buried thousands of its residents.

#Watch | "Come on, Anous... You're a hero!"

A circulating video shows a #Palestinian child making every effort to escape from under the rubble after his family's house in #Gaza was bombed by the Israeli occupation.#GazaGenocide #Palestine pic.twitter.com/GIWVM1f8RH
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 25, 2023

Israelis kill dozens in Gaza, bomb Al-Durra hospital director's house

The Israeli occupation continued its aggression against Gaza for the 18th day, killing dozens after bombs were dropped on homes and neighborhoods.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Ashraf Al-Qudra, announced that the Israeli occupation targeted the home of the director of Al-Durrah Children’s Hospital, Kamal Khattab, which led to the martyrdom of his wife and two daughters.

It is noteworthy that Al-Durrah Children's Hospital was evacuated shortly after the start of the aggression, as the Israeli occupation targeted it with white phosphorous.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in the Gaza Strip reported that there was Israeli artillery shelling east of Khan Yunis and the Central Governorate. A series of raids also targeted various parts of Khan Yunis, Hay al-Tuffah, Beit Lahia, and Jabalia.

At least 25 were martyred, and dozens were injured as the occupation bombed several homes in the Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, east of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli occupation forces violently targeted Al-Wahdat Street, west of Khan Yunis, amid the transportation of numerous casualties.

In Deir al-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip, at least two were martyred, and others were injured when the occupation hit it with an airstrike.

Meanwhile, several martyrs and wounded arrived at a hospital after the Israeli bombing of the city of Rafah.

Meanwhile, the Government Information Office in Gaza confirmed that “tangible changes were observed on the bodies of the martyrs, due to the occupation’s use of internationally prohibited weapons.”

The office stressed that the Israeli occupation is using “unconventional weapons and internationally banned ammunition” in its aggression against the Gaza Strip, noting “clear documentation of the occupation’s use of white phosphorus in areas of the Strip.”