Over 3,700 Palestinians dead or missing in 60 days of Israeli operations in Gaza: Media office

By Mohammed Ragawi

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - More than 3,700 Palestinians have been killed or reported missing during 60 days of Israeli military's operations in northern Gaza, the enclave’s media office said Monday.

In a statement, the office accused Israeli forces of conducting an intensive and multifaceted assault by land, sea, and air targeting northern Gaza. Areas affected include Jabalia Camp, Jabalia Town, Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and surrounding regions.

The statement detailed that of the more than 3,700 reported dead or missing, 2,400 bodies have been buried. Additionally, 10,000 others have been injured, and significant numbers detained.

The ongoing military operations have obstructed the work of civil defense teams and destroyed critical infrastructure, including health facilities, water systems, and roads, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, the office added.

“North Gaza is a disaster zone in every sense of the word,” the office said.

The office cited witnesses as reporting that between 500 and 650 bodies have remained in the streets for two months due to Israeli restrictions preventing medical and rescue teams from accessing the areas.

The statement added that stray animals have scavenged the remains, leaving unidentifiable bones scattered in the streets.

The office condemned the “deliberate and systematic targeting of civilians, residential neighborhoods, and shelters,” accusing Israel of committing crimes against humanity under international law.

The statement further said that Israeli forces, with backing from the US, the UK, Germany, and France, continue a “planned campaign of killing, destruction, and forced displacement.”

It noted that the Israeli military has blocked more than 8,000 aid and supply trucks from entering northern Gaza, worsening the dire situation.

The office called on the international community and global organizations to condemn the attacks and fulfill their responsibilities to provide humanitarian, medical, and relief aid to Gaza.

It also held Israel and its allies accountable for the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people, particularly in northern Gaza.

Since Oct. 5, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza to allegedly prevent Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping.

Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, has been allowed into the area, leaving most of the population there – currently estimated at 80,000 – on the verge of famine.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last October, killing more than 44,400 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 105,000.

The second year of the genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio