Israeli bombardment levels Gaza buildings

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire targeted multiple areas of the Gaza Strip early on Friday, in an escalation of Tel Aviv's military operations to demolish residential buildings and neighborhoods.

Eyewitnesses reported to Anadolu that heavy Israeli shelling in the town of Beit Lahia, its adjacent housing project, Jabalia refugee camp, and the Jabalia Nazlah area.

The army also intensified its demolitions via bombardment of the Jabalia refugee camp and Beit Lahia, using explosives to destroy homes and entire residential blocks.

The massive blasts echoed across northern Gaza, according to locals, who said the frequency and scale of these attacks have increased, now occurring around the clock using varying methods.

Israel has been waging a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza since Oct. 5, allegedly to prevent Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

In central Gaza, Israeli artillery shelled areas northwest and east of Nuseirat refugee camp and north of Bureij refugee camp.

In the south, Abasan, a town east of Khan Younis, and Rafah City also came under heavy bombardment.

On Tuesday, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor condemned Israel’s expansion of city eradication activities, labeling them a tool for “committing genocide” in Gaza. The organization verified video evidence and images showing the widespread destruction of northern Gaza and Rafah City.

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,100 people, mostly women and children, since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi