Israel 'implemented scorched-earth policy' in Jabalia, Gaza local authorities say

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Gaza local authorities on Friday said the Israeli army "implemented a scorched-earth policy" during its incursion into the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip as it left an immense scale of destruction in the camp's homes and infrastructure.

Earlier, the Israeli army completely withdrew from the Jabalia camp area and its surroundings after an offensive that lasted 20 days, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

In a statement, Salama Marouf, chairman of the media office of the Gaza government, said that the scenes from Jabalia expose the atrocities committed there against the homes and public facilities, including markets and cemeteries.

He said that the medical teams recovered dozens of corpses of people killed during the incursion, while they continue to search for dozens others missing under the rubble of destroyed homes and shelters.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 36,300 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 82,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar