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Civil defense spokesman in Gaza says about 300 houses were completely destroyed during Operation Jabalya
A plume of smoke rises during an Israeli bombardment in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, on May 14, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territories between Israel and Hamas. (AFP photo via Getty Images)
Mahmoud Bassal, a civil defense spokesman in Gaza, told CNN on Saturday that about 300 homes were completely destroyed over the course of seven days during the Israeli incursion into the Jabalya camp in northern Gaza.
Bassal said that despite difficulties related to equipment safety, dwindling fuel supplies and lack of heavy equipment, his teams recovered 150 bodies and rescued hundreds of injured in Jabalya last week.
He warned that many bodies remained buried under debris because civil protection teams could not reach or remove them. Bassel said his team of first responders were afraid to go to some areas despite calls for help from civilians due to Israeli shelling.
“Today we recovered two bodies from Al-Daher House in Jabalya, but according to information received from residents of the area, there are still 15 bodies under the debris,” he said.
The civil defense team has run out of fuel and is now dependent on small donations from citizens. “As per protocol, we have to send 4-5 vehicles, including an ambulance, in response to every distress call. Now we are sending only one,” he said.
“Running out of fuel for our vehicles and fire trucks means disaster. People who could be saved will die,” Bassal said.
They say search and rescue efforts across Gaza are limited due to lack of heavy equipment and limited fuel.
Two days earlier, the team heard a girl calling from beneath the debris of her destroyed home in al-Shati camp. “She was screaming and for five hours the team tried to reach her, digging by hand. But then her voice disappeared. When they finally reached her, she was dead. If we had had the right team, So we would have saved him in a few hours,” he said.
It’s a recurring story, Basal said.
“Israel is implementing a scorched earth policy,” he said, adding that after a visit to the al-Zaytn neighborhood in Gaza City this Saturday, he saw total destruction. “The only health center that supported the community was destroyed. Schools were destroyed. Water wells were destroyed. The occupation destroyed everything that could sustain life,” he said.