Martyrs in central Gaza and Rafah amid ongoing Israeli genocide

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
9 Dec 2023 11:18
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Israeli occupation air raids continued to target residential homes in the central and southern Gaza Strip on day 64 of the war.

Smoke rises following an Israeli occupation bombardment in the Gaza Strip, Thursday, December 7, 2023. (AP)

The Israeli occupation, on the 64th day of the aggression, launched a series of bombardments against residential homes in various areas of the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing genocidal war against the Palestinians.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent confirmed that the bodies of dozens of martyrs have been scattered in the streets for days due to the siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the Gaza Strip.

According to our correspondent, the occupation committed yet another massacre in Tal al-Zaatar, located in the Jabalia camp, and bombed 4 schools sheltering the displaced. Jabalia witnessed multiple massacres earlier in this war as the Israeli occupation leveled entire neighborhoods.

The Israeli occupation has also intentionally burned houses and shops in the Beit Lahia project area after arresting their owners and residents, he explained.

In central Gaza City, the occupation leveled houses that were still inhabited in the vicinity of the Sahaba Medical Complex.

Palestinians faced increased difficulty retrieving the bodies of the martyrs from under the rubble or attending and aiding the wounded in the region, due to the siege imposed by the Israeli occupation tanks stationed in nearby areas, as they would strike any moving target.

Our reporter further underscored that several were martyred as a result of the shelling of houses in the Nusirat, Bureij, and al-Maghazi refugee camps. Martyrs and casualties were transported to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, located in the central region of the Strip.

UNRWA collapse threatens humanitarian aid in Gaza: Lazzarini

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote a letter to UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Friday, foreseeing the eventual loss of lives among his team due to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which he described as the "darkest hour in the agency's 75-year history."

"I must inform you that UNRWA's ability to implement its General Assembly mandate in Gaza is today severely limited, with immediate and dire consequences for the UN humanitarian response and the lives of civilians in Gaza," the letter read.

"The long-term implications for Palestine Refugees and prospects for a fair and lasting political solution are grave," it added.

Lazzarini noted that following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, several thousand civilians in Gaza preemptively sought refuge in UNRWA premises, anticipating unprecedented aggression and seeking safety under the UN flag. As of Friday, December 8, this number had increased to 1.2 million, approximately half of the Gaza Strip's population, he added.

"UNRWA is, as of today, still operational in the Gaza Strip, though just barely," he said.

Lazzarini further added that the UNRWA team continues to run health centers, oversee shelters, and offer support to those affected, some of whom arrive with their killed children due to brutal Israeli airstrikes.

"We are still distributing food, even though the courtyards and corridors of our premises are too crowded to walk through. Our staff take their children to work so they know they are safe or can die together," he went on to say.

Lazzarini stated that over 130 confirmed UNRWA staff, predominantly with their families, have been killed by Israeli bombings, adding this number may increase.