Over 210 Palestinians were killed and numerous others injured in a series of Israeli air strikes targeting central Gaza on Saturday, concurrent with Israel’s announcement of Israel’s army special unit releasing four Israeli captives from Al-Nuseirat.
According to the Gaza government’s media office, the casualties from the attacks on Deir el-Balah and Nuseirat have reached 210, with 400 injuries reported. The Ministry of Health corroborated that Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital has received a substantial influx of casualties, predominantly women and children.
The ministry reported that dozens of injured Palestinians were “lying on the ground,” with medical teams striving to save them using “whatever capabilities available.” The heavy Israeli bombardment included strikes on houses in close proximity to the hospital.
Israeli forces reportedly contacted people sheltering in the hospital, instructing them to vacate the premises.
Among the casualties were at least 32 members of the Abu Shalt family, whose bodies were recovered and transported to the hospital.
Local resident from Al-Bureij camp said the scene was like a doomsday when Israeli tanks crossed the southern and northern areas of Al-bureij and reached Salah Ad-Dein street, cordoning off the camp from all its boundaries.
The people fled to the four schools of Al-Bureij after they tried to get out of the camp, but couldn’t as Israeli Quadcopters were disseminated across the camp’s streets, shooting at many residents in Block 1 area and Abu Rsas roundabout.
“At the beginning, a barrage of gunfire was coming from every side with the scene of people fleeing many dangerous zones. We thought it was another invasion of the area, then the sound of gunfire started to go west towards Al-Nuseirate,” said Tala Abu Sharar, a resistant from Al-Bureij.
“The occupation has annihilated the Nuseirat refugee camp. Innocent and unarmed civilians were bombed in their homes. I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s a catastrophe,” said a resistant from Al-Nuseirat.
“I came from the camp to the hospital on foot. The manner of our flight defies description. I witnessed dead children and bodies scattered as we fled. No one could assist them. I saw an elderly man killed on an animal-drawn cart.”
While the army was carpet bombing Al-Nuseirate from the air and ground, the Israeli military announced in a statement that it had released four captives from Gaza during an operation in Nuseirat. They were Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv.
The captives, who were reportedly in good health, were taken to Tel Hashomer hospital for further evaluation, all four were captured by Hamas on 7 October from the Supernova music festival, according to the Times of Israel.
Killing over 200 Palestinians by the Israeli military in Nuseirate was conducted by the US support in rescuing four captives from Gaza in a “complex daytime operation”.
A US official told Axios that the US cell in Israel had “supported” the effort to rescue the captives.
Later, CNN reported that a US official said the American cell is a team that has been in place supporting Israel since 7 October with information gathering.
The news agency said that “a source familiar with the matter” said that there were “no US boots on the ground” during the Saturday operation.
Earlier on Saturday, the army said it had been “targeting terrorist infrastructure in the Nuseirat area”, north of the town of Deir al-Balah in the centre of the besieged enclave.
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