An Israeli military official informed the BBC that a retaliatory airstrike on a five-storey residential building in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, was conducted due to the presence of a “spotter” using binoculars to observe Israeli forces. The strike resulted in the deaths or disappearances of more than 90 Palestinians, including 25 children, as the building collapsed.
The official stated that the attack was not premeditated and that the military was unaware the building was sheltering displaced persons. Furthermore, there were discrepancies between reported casualties and military observations. The strike drew strong condemnation from the U.S., which called it a “horrifying incident” and demanded an explanation from Israel.
On Wednesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed that Israel was “not doing enough to provide” the answers requested regarding the incident.
Because Israel restricts independent media access to Gaza, including the BBC, verifying information on the ground is challenging, and reports rely heavily on video footage and witness accounts.
Videos shared on social media shortly after the strike displayed numerous bodies wrapped in blankets and individuals collecting human remains at the site.
Witness Umm Malik Abu Nasr recounted to BBC Arabic’s Gaza Today program the destruction of her family’s home and the ensuing chaos: “At around 12:30 or 1:00, the Awda family house next to us was bombed. We rushed to help them, but their daughter died in our home. At 4:00, the multi-storey house of the Abu Nasr family collapsed on top of us, housing approximately 300 displaced people fleeing their homes.”
She added, “My husband and other young men are still under the rubble. My husband’s cousin and her five children are also trapped.”
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital, reported that more than 25 bodies had been received and another 77 were still trapped. The hospital, hindered by limited staff following an Israeli raid, had received about 45 injured individuals, including women and children, transported by horse-drawn carts and volunteers.
UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland characterized the strike as another deadly incident amid a campaign that has caused mass casualties and significant displacement in northern Gaza, raising serious concerns about violations of humanitarian law.
Since the initiation of a ground offensive in Beit Lahia and surrounding areas on October 6, the Israeli military claims to be targeting regrouping Hamas fighters. More than 70,000 residents have fled to Gaza City, yet approximately 100,000 remain in desperate conditions suffering from severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
This military campaign by Israel aims to dismantle Hamas in response to the group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in around 1,200 casualties and 251 hostages. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 43,160 people have died in Gaza since that time.
Credit: BBC News
