Israeli forces launched a deadly series of airstrikes on a residential block housing displaced Palestinians in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday, causing large numbers of casualties and leaving rescue crews battling to dig people out from beneath the rubble.
The attacks have claimed the lives of at least 23 people and injured over 50 others, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
A spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza earlier said that dozens had been wounded with many left buried under the rubble of homes targeted by the Israeli army in the camp.
Eyewitnesses said Israeli aircraft and artillery shelled several houses in the camp simultaneously. A large number of residents were left trapped under the ruins of the collapsed houses as ambulances and civil defense vehicles faced difficulty in reaching them amid the intensive shelling, witnesses added.
"Our crews went to the rescue in the bombing area, while they were working, two houses were targeted again next to the Civil Defense crews at dawn today. Rescue crews had to retreat and only a limited number of injured people were treated there," said Rami Al-Aydi, director of the Civil Defense in Central Gaza.
"Many civilians have been put at great risk due to the indiscriminate bombing that has targeted ordinary people, whether they are in their homes or in the schools of the displaced, there are many gatherings of citizens that have been targeted," said Ihab al-Maghrabi, a local eyewitness.
Palestinian journalist Mohammed Al-Khatib also recalled the chaotic situation he found after arriving on the scene.
"We headed to the east of Al-Bureij camp for cover. When we arrived at the site and approached the bombed houses, we were exposed to severe danger and shooting in our direction in addition to a number of shells," he said.
Since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted last October, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have now risen to at least 41,252, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.
Israeli airstrikes cause large casualties in refugee camp in central Gaza
