Israel has demolished 1,000 buildings in Gaza in its raid, while the bombardment has also reportedly trapped hundreds of civilians under rubble and strained emergency services.

The more than 1,000 buildings that have been destroyed in Gaza City’s Zaytoun and Sabra neighborhoods since Israeli forces began a new ground incursion this month are trapping people under them, Al Jazeera has reported, citing Palestinian Civil Defence. The once lively city has now been reduced to rubble.

Zaytoun was known for its bustling markets, olive groves, and tight-knit community. Generations of families have lived there.

In a statement on Sunday, Civil Defence reported that continued shelling and blocked access routes have made it nearly impossible for emergency crews to reach hundreds of trapped civilians or respond to reports of missing persons. Hospitals in the area are reportedly struggling to cope with the attacks.

”There are grave concerns about the continued incursion of Israeli forces into Gaza City, at a time when field crews lack the capacity to deal with the intensity of the ongoing Israeli attacks,” the Civil Defense said.

“We were sleeping, and at midnight, the roof collapsed on our heads, and the pieces were all over us. We woke up terrified. I put on my prayer gown and started to call my children. I called their names Ibrahim, Mahdi, Mohamed, Sanad. But I couldn’t see them because of all the rubble and the dust,” said Feryal Ahmed in a report by Al Jazeera. 

Israelis Protest The Ruling Class’s Gaza Takeover Plan

The Israeli military announced the start of an operation to take over Gaza City last week, targeting Hamas command centers, weapons caches, and tunnel networks embedded in civilian areas. Zaytoun and Sabra have previously been identified by Israeli officials as strategic zones for the militant group’s activity, according to a report by RT. 

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warned that famine was now the “last calamity” affecting Gaza. “People are enduring hell in all shapes,” he said, calling for full access for aid groups and international journalists.

At Least 40 People Were Killed And 60 Wounded In An Israeli Attack On Gaza Humanitarian Zone