JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - Hundreds of Palestinians have started fleeing Gaza City after the Israeli military escalated attacks across the heart of the Palestinian region, with the launch of its first stage of offensive to press ahead with plans to take full control of the war-ravaged enclave.
Recent attacks have been particularly devastating in the Az Zaytoun neighborhood, where airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire are continuous and intense, causing a high number of civilian casualties and the large-scale destruction of residential buildings and public facilities, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a statement.
Since August 8, the office has recorded 54 attacks on residential buildings and entire blocks in Gaza City, which is home to more than one million Palestinians.
87 people, including at least 25 children and entire families, have been eliminated in the attacks, it said in a press release.
It also recorded attacks on shelters for internally displaced people, including tents and schools, killing at least 14.
These casualty figures 'indicate that the systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway,' the statement said.
However, OHCHR stressed that these devastating figures are only a portion of the actual toll due to underreporting in such dire circumstances.
As a result of recent attacks, hundreds of families have been forced to flee, with nowhere safe to go amid dire humanitarian conditions across the Gaza Strip.
However, those who remain trapped are completely cut off from food, water and medical supplies.
OHCHR emphasized that 'Israel's reported decision to take full control of Gaza City and to forcibly displace its population will lead to mass killings of civilians and destruction of infrastructure vital to the survival of the population.'
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
