Anadolu photographer loses 47 members of his extended family in Israeli airstrike

By Mohammed Al-Ragawi

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Anadolu freelance photographer Montaser Al-Sawwaf recounted Wednesday how he was wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City which also killed 47 members his extended family, with others still under the rubble.

"Last Friday night, Israeli warplanes raided my family's home and destroyed it completely while my family was inside," Montaser said.

"The bombardment caused the martyrdom of my parents, two of my brothers, a number of their children and other cousins," he added. "As for me, I sustained a moderate injury to my face."

Montaser's father Mustafa, a well-known journalist and political analyst, was mourned by the Gaza-based Ministry of Culture.

"The airstrike caused an injury to my eye," Montaser said, adding he searched for an eye doctor to treat him but couldn't find one in Gaza due to the Israeli war.

"Currently, I am treating myself through guidance from doctors (outside Gaza) online or via telephone calls," he said.

"My injury is not life threatening, but still it needs treatment by eye specialists.”

Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

The number of people killed in Israeli air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 has risen to 14,532, including over 6,000 children and 4,000 women, the media office in the besieged enclave said Wednesday.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar