Israel intensifies its attacks on central Gaza on 1st day of Eid al-Fitr

By Hosni Nadim

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Israel intensified its airstrikes on the city of Al-Zahra in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Israeli warplanes carried out intense airstrikes lasting over three hours targeting towers and residential buildings, an Anadolu correspondent reported.

The army warned residents to leave the city and to not return before commencing the attack.

Residents of central Gaza, especially those in the Nuseirat refugee camp and Al-Zahra, heard the sounds of violent explosions.

Israeli army vehicles fired intensely in the vicinity of the former Netzarim settlement in central Gaza, which was evacuated during Israel's 2005 pullout from the territory, with no reported injuries.

On Oct. 19 last year, Israeli airstrikes destroyed residential towers in Al-Zahra.

Al-Zahra is considered an upscale city by the Palestinian Authority for its employees in various ministries and administrations.

Israel has waged a military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas which killed around 1,200 people.

Around 33,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began.

It has also imposed a crippling blockade on the seaside enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while much of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has urged it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala