‘Horrific’ Israeli bombing of Gaza’s Beit Lahiya kills at least 93

Rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble in Beit Lahiya and dozens of people were missing after the Israeli military bombed a residential building, killing at least 93 people, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza.

Bodies wrapped in shrouds lay in rows as mourners gathered on Tuesday. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said at least 25 children were among the dead.

An estimated 40 people were missing under the debris, the civil defence said of the attack in northern Gaza.

Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal, who confirmed the number of dead and missing, described the complete destruction of a five-storey home, adding that the area lacked medical facilities to treat the wounded.

One witness, 30-year-old Rabie al-Shandagly, said, “People are trying to save the injured, but there are no hospitals or proper medical care.”

Al-Shandagly, who had taken refuge in a nearby school, added, “The explosion happened at night and I first thought it was shelling, but when I went out after sunrise I saw people pulling bodies, limbs and the wounded from under the rubble.”

Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Middle East peace envoy, said, “This horrific strike is yet another in a deadly series of recent mass casualty incidents, alongside a massive displacement campaign, in the north of Gaza that raises serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law.”

A second attack on Beit Lahiya on Tuesday night killed at least 19 people, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel’s military said it was “looking into the reports” of the first strike, but did not immediately comment on the second.

Israel’s escalating air and ground assault on Beit Lahiya comes as its siege of northern Gaza has entered its 26th day, with tens of thousands of Palestinians trapped without food, water and medical care.