Gaza Authorities Warn of Humanitarian, Environmental Crises As Hundreds Remain Trapped
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Hamas interior ministry in Gaza expressed grave concern over the dire humanitarian and environmental crises unfolding in the region as the bodies of over 1,000 Palestinians remain trapped beneath the rubble of buildings devastated by Israeli air attacks.
Eyad al-Bozom, spokesman for the Hamas interior ministry, issued a statement on Monday, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
"More than 1,000 Palestinians are trapped beneath the rubble, and this is a matter of great concern," al-Bozom stated. This revelation comes a day after the Palestinian civil defense team reported that over 1,000 individuals were unaccounted for, following the rescue of many survivors within the first 24 hours of the buildings being struck.
The death toll in Gaza has now reached 2,750 individuals, while the number of injured stands at 9,700, as confirmed by the enclave's health ministry.
Al Jazeera's Youmna ElSayed, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, highlighted that Israeli bombardments persist in the city and other southern regions, despite calls from Israeli authorities for people to move southward.
On Friday morning, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for over a million residents in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, including the densely populated Gaza City, affecting nearly half of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants.
ElSayed further reported, "A short while ago, five ambulances arrived at a hospital in Khan Younis carrying the injured. Several, including women and children, had severe injuries. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the Israeli aggression."
She continued, "Hospitals, which have been relying on generators due to the cut-off of electricity to Gaza, are informing us that they are running out of fuel and will be unable to operate in less than 24 hours."
Israel had imposed a comprehensive siege on Gaza, cutting off access to food, fuel, medicine, and other vital supplies as of last Monday. Israeli minister Yoav Gallant justified this measure in a video statement, describing Palestinians in derogatory terms, stating, "We are putting a complete siege on Gaza... No electricity, no food, no water, no gas – it's all closed."
