— Two hundred fifty civilians killed in Gaza within 36 hours
GAZA, May 16, 2025 (WAFA) - Since Thursday evening, Israeli occupation forces have continued their relentless bombardment of residential homes across various areas of the Gaza Strip, leaving dozens of civilians killed, wounded, or missing.
WAFA correspondent reported that rescue teams and local volunteers recovered the bodies of at least 30 civilians in the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. Dozens more remain trapped under the rubble, as ambulances are unable to reach the affected areas due to the destruction of roads. Civilians have been forced to recover and evacuate the victims themselves, on foot or using animal-drawn carts.
The Israeli occupation carried out its attacks using warplanes, helicopters, drones, and naval vessels. Around 10 residential homes were targeted, causing dozens of fatalities and injuries. Among the homes struck were those in Jabalia refugee camp and Beit Lahia.
The bodies of the victims and the wounded were transferred to the overcrowded Indonesian Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital, where large numbers of residents gathered to identify those killed, search for missing relatives, or collect remains.
The bombardment was accompanied by an incursion of occupation forces into Beit Lahia, during which several civilians were abducted from a shelter center.
Eight civilians were also killed and others were injured in Israeli artillery shelling targeting displaced persons in Ezbet Abed Rabo area, east of Jabalia town in the northern Gaza Strip.
Following midnight, families carrying their children were observed undertaking sudden displacement amid heavy shelling in northern Gaza and the Qarara area north of Khan Yunis, while other families attempted to flee but were prevented by the intensity of the bombardment.
In Khan Yunis, two civilians were killed and several others were injured after the occupation forces bombed a residential home in the town of Al-Fukhari, east of the city. Meanwhile, two more civilians were killed and others were injured or went missing following an Israeli shelling of a house in the town of Al-Qarara. Additionally, quadcopter drones dropped bombs indiscriminately on civilians in Al-Qarara, Al-Satr, and the outskirts of Hamad city, followed by artillery shelling.
The Central Governorate also endured a significant escalation in airstrikes and artillery attacks, with Israeli warplanes conducting four air raids on the Deir al-Balah area, alongside ongoing artillery shelling.
On Thursday, medical sources reported that 136 Palestinians were killed in the ongoing Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, including 83 in the southern areas, five in the central areas, 11 in Gaza City, and 37 in the north.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli occupation forces have been committing a relentless genocide in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the killing and wounding of around 173,000, mostly children and women.
Over 11,000 people remain missing; either buried under the rubble or scattered on the roads, as rescue teams face tremendous difficulties in reaching them due to the continued Israeli attacks and the massive amount of debris.
T.R.
