00:47State of Palestine: Gazans search for the dead after IDF onslaught *GRAPHIC*
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) permitted emergency services, the press, and families affected by the ongoing crisis in Gaza to enter the devastated town of Khuza'a on Friday. Khuza'a has been bombarded by IDF shelling since July 21, killing hundreds and leaving the town without electricity, internet or a telephone connection.
Locals ran through the town in the South of Gaza, carrying bodies in blankets and searching through the rubble of destroyed houses for further victims. Several corpses scarred by IDF aerial fire could be seen inside buildings affected by the shelling.
Before the IDF began its operation in Khuza'a on July 21, Israeli officials ordered residents to evacuate their homes. Some 70% of the town's locals complied with Israeli demands, fleeing to UN shelters and houses of relatives. However, at least 3000 Palestinians remained in the town. Heavy shelling ensued throughout the night.
A 72-hour ceasefire, agreed on by Israel and Hamas lasted for only three hours on Friday morning, with fighting quickly resuming. Medics reported 40 Palestinian deaths in the south of Gaza.
The death toll according to the Gaza Health Ministry now stands at more than 1,400 Palestinians dead, with 61 military casualties reported by the Israeli Defence Forces.
00:47Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) permitted emergency services, the press, and families affected by the ongoing crisis in Gaza to enter the devastated town of Khuza'a on Friday. Khuza'a has been bombarded by IDF shelling since July 21, killing hundreds and leaving the town without electricity, internet or a telephone connection.
Locals ran through the town in the South of Gaza, carrying bodies in blankets and searching through the rubble of destroyed houses for further victims. Several corpses scarred by IDF aerial fire could be seen inside buildings affected by the shelling.
Before the IDF began its operation in Khuza'a on July 21, Israeli officials ordered residents to evacuate their homes. Some 70% of the town's locals complied with Israeli demands, fleeing to UN shelters and houses of relatives. However, at least 3000 Palestinians remained in the town. Heavy shelling ensued throughout the night.
A 72-hour ceasefire, agreed on by Israel and Hamas lasted for only three hours on Friday morning, with fighting quickly resuming. Medics reported 40 Palestinian deaths in the south of Gaza.
The death toll according to the Gaza Health Ministry now stands at more than 1,400 Palestinians dead, with 61 military casualties reported by the Israeli Defence Forces.