Desolation in Gaza: Al-Zeitoun district bears witness to tragic aftermath of Israeli incursion

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA (AA) - Al-Zeitoun and its surroundings in Gaza City are filled with devastation, with bodies and wreckage strewn throughout every alley and street after the recent Israeli army incursion.

Within the neighborhood, one of the largest in the devastated city, the extensive and comprehensive scale of destruction in homes is evident, along with significant land and street excavations.

During the Israeli army's incursion into the neighborhood, schools, medical clinics, and mosques were destroyed, with ruins scattered everywhere and traces of devastation in every alley.

For about a week, the densely populated neighborhood of interconnected Palestinian homes endured the onslaught of the Israeli army.

After the army's withdrawal, silence fell over the once bustling place of battle, now dominated by scenes of destruction and ruin in this devastated neighborhood that witnessed a second ground operation by the army.

This prevailing calm prompted displaced residents to return, seeking to check on their loved ones, homes, belongings, and the damage caused by the Israeli war machine.

However, on their arrival, sorrow and pain were evident on their faces, with women's cries echoing due to the horrific scenes they witnessed, left behind by the Israeli army.

Amid this immense destruction and wreckage from the war, Palestinians console each other for what happened to their neighborhood, where they experienced its highs and lows.

Inside the Al-Sabrah clinic, affiliated with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and located on the outskirts of Al-Zeitoun, targeted by the Israeli army, victims of the bombing remain under the rubble, as citizens and civil defense work to rescue them with limited resources.

Hajazi Al-Qadi, a resident, told Anadolu: "The army's bombing of civilians inside a clinic affiliated with UNRWA resulted in casualties and injuries among Palestinians."

He continued: "My message to the world is to stand with the Palestinian people and support their just cause."

Meanwhile, a young Palestinian, Ahmed Al-Banna, told Anadolu: "We returned and found martyrs inside the Al-Sabrah clinic affiliated with UNRWA, including children and women killed by the Israeli army."

Al-Banna added: "More than 20 families were inside the clinic, considering it safe on the ground floor."

"The martyrs are still under the rubble, and civil defense teams face difficulty in rescuing them due to limited resources," he said, noting: "The destruction in Al-Zeitoun and its surroundings is extensive in lands and houses, with fear and terror among women and children."

Zakaria Al-Dawur, another young Palestinian, told Anadolu: "We thought the UNRWA clinic was safe, but the army targeted and bombed it, resulting in the deaths of children and women seeking refuge there."

"There is no safe place in Gaza, we need a solution to end this war," he added.

Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Civil Defense, also told Anadolu: "After the Israeli army's withdrawal from Al-Zeitoun, our teams carried out the operation to retrieve the bodies of many Palestinians from Al-Zeitoun and the Al-Sabrah medical clinic."

"Our teams are working in the neighborhood to search for victims killed by the Israeli army during its incursion.

"The occupation left behind extensive and massive destruction in Al-Zeitoun following its withdrawal," Basal noted.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the army's withdrawal from the neighborhood and adjacent areas (Al-Sabrah and Tal Al-Hawa) "revealed extensive destruction in citizens' homes and agricultural lands after a week-long incursion."

They said they saw destroyed cars, completely bombed buildings and residential squares, as well as traces of Israeli ammunition.

Earlier on Wednesday, eyewitnesses told Anadolu that Israeli military vehicles withdrew from Al-Zeitoun in Gaza City amid gunfire toward Palestinian homes during its withdrawal.

The Israeli army confirmed on Wednesday morning its withdrawal from Al-Zeitoun, threatening to return and resume military operations "if necessary."

On Thursday, it announced the start of a military operation in Al-Zeitoun, the second of its kind since the start of its war on the strip on Oct. 7 last year.

In a statement sent to Anadolu, the army said: "Israeli soldiers and the General Security Service (Shin Bet) launched an operation led by Division 99 in the Al-Zeitoun area in central Gaza to continue dismantling hostile infrastructure and eliminate militants in the area."

Israel continues its war despite a UN Security Council resolution for an immediate cease-fire and a call from the International Court of Justice for urgent measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

* Writing by Alperen Aktas in Istanbul