September 20, 2025 – Residents in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood say Israeli drones have been firing on rescuers as they attempt to pull survivors from the rubble following a devastating overnight airstrike.
According to local reports, at least 25 members of the Doghmush family were killed in the Israeli bombardment of a residential block. Seventeen others have been pulled from the debris, but relatives believe as many as 50 more remain trapped.
“I appeal to the whole world: Please lend us a helping hand,” one family member said. “Our families and relatives are buried alive. We keep hearing their screams from under the rubble, but we cannot reach them.”
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli drones have targeted people digging through the ruins to reach the trapped survivors.
“Every time we try to reach them, the Israeli drones open fire on us,” the relative said. “For every five men attempting, four are killed, and only one survives.”
The claims add to mounting evidence that emergency workers and civilians in Gaza face grave risks not only from the initial strikes but also from subsequent attacks while attempting to help survivors. Civil defence crews say they are overwhelmed and lack the necessary heavy machinery to clear collapsed buildings.
The Sabra neighbourhood, like much of Gaza City, has been heavily bombed since Israel launched its major offensive in August, driving nearly half the city’s residents to flee—those who remain face ongoing bombardment, shortages of medical supplies, and repeated displacement.
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that Israel’s targeting of rescuers could constitute a war crime under international law. Survivors and relatives continue to call on the international community to intervene, saying time is running out for those still trapped.
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