Drone Fire Targets Palestinians Fleeing Shujayea amid Ongoing Israeli Onslaught
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – As Israeli forces intensify their assault on Gaza, Palestinians attempting to flee Shujayea are being targeted by drone fire, leaving many trapped and calling for urgent international assistance.
While some Palestinians have managed to escape Shujayea, others remain trapped as Israeli quadcopters and drones shoot at people leaving their homes.
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), 65,000 Palestinians have evacuated, but many are still unable to leave.
Yesterday, residents of Shujayea were forced to flee through Salah al-Din Street to central Gaza under relentless air strikes and artillery shelling, with some expressing disbelief at their survival.
A family from the heart of Shujayea has appealed to international organizations for evacuation, citing a lack of food, water, and medical assistance for the injured.
"It’s a very horrifying place," they said.
Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency shows widespread destruction in Shujayea, invaded by Israeli troops four days ago.
The footage, shared on Instagram by a local resident, depicts a street lined with bombed-out buildings and rubble, extending into a haze of smoke.
Israel’s intense attacks on the area continue for a fourth day, combining air and artillery strikes with ground forces, leaving many civilians trapped.
Palestinians trapped during Israel’s ground invasion of Shujayea recounted their experiences as the siege enters its fourth day.
"We were in the house at the time of the incursion into Shujayea and we couldn’t leave because of the amount of shelling and shooting from Israeli tanks," said Areej al-Jamal.
"The bulldozers bulldozed under our house and then Israeli soldiers blew up the door. We were yelling at them that ‘we are civilians’. They didn’t respond, they never stopped shooting."
Al-Jamal said her mother was wounded in the stomach and "her body parts were in my hands". Her mother was taken away by Israeli troops, and she doesn’t know if she’s dead or alive.
At least 37,877 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza during Israel’s genocidal war on the coastal enclave, the Health Ministry says.
The toll includes at least 43 deaths over the past 24 hours, according to a ministry statement.
Another 86,969 have been wounded since the Israeli war began on October 7, it added. The death toll is likely far higher, with thousands of bodies buried in the debris of bombed buildings.
