Dozens of bodies have been found in Gaza City, Palestinian rescue workers have said, after Israeli forces reportedly pulled out of parts of two districts following days of bombardment and fighting there.
Israel’s military launched an incursion into the Tal al Hawa and Sinaah neighbourhoods earlier this week to fight what it said were Hamas militants who had regrouped.
About 60 bodies have been recovered, including entire families who appeared to have been killed by artillery fire and aerial bombardment, Gaza‘s civil defence director Mahmoud Basal said.
“There are homes that we cannot reach, and there are those who were burned inside their homes,” he said.
The director of nearby al Ahli Hospital, Fadel Naem, said at least 40 bodies found in the districts had been brought to the facility, although he didn’t have a precise number.
The Israeli military said it could not comment.
The scenes mirror those in another Gaza City area, Shuja’iyyah, which Israel’s military withdrew from in recent days.
On Thursday, civil defence workers found an additional 60 bodies in Shuja’iyyah under similar circumstances, with more believed to be buried under rubble.
Palestinians return to scenes of destruction in Gaza City’s Shuja’iyyah neighbourhood on 11 July. Pic: AP
This comes as the UN estimated around 300,000 Palestinians were still in northern Gaza, as of earlier this week, despite being ordered to evacuate.
Read more:
Dozens killed in Israeli strike outside school
News outlets call for access to Gaza
Newborn babies in Gaza ‘have little chance of survival’
Meanwhile in Cairo, mediators are trying to close the gaps between Israel and Hamas over a proposed deal that would include a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel would send a delegation for further talks as US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators attempt to seal an agreement.
Mr Netanyahu is under growing pressure both domestically and internationally.
Large segments of the Israeli population are demanding an agreement to release the hostages after nine months of war, though the Israeli leader has insisted that the offensive will not end until Israel achieves its goal of eliminating Hamas.
Families and friends of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza call for their return as they begin a four-day march from Tel Aviv to the prime minister’s house in Jerusalem. Pic: AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
Relatives of hostages are marching to Jerusalem to demand a deal and the release of their loved ones as Israeli politicians, including defence minister Yoav Gallant, call for a broad government investigation into the conduct of Israel’s leaders.
A risk of regional escalation remains.
Israel’s military said one of its soldiers was killed in combat in northern Israel as the country’s army and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah continue to trade cross-border fire.
The Iranian-backed group and Israel have been trading near-daily exchanges of fire, with Hezbollah saying it is striking Israel in solidarity with Hamas and would stop its attacks once there is a ceasefire.
In a news conference on Thursday, US President Joe Biden talked about disappointment and frustration with the war and Israel’s government.
Mr Biden said Israel and Hamas had now both agreed to the broad terms of a deal to pause fighting and free hostages, and said that made prospects brighter.