More than 70 Palestinians were killed in a violent incident in Gaza city on Friday, Al Jazeera reported. A Hamas official accused Israeli authorities of plotting a “planned massacre”.
Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of the Hamas government's media office, claimed that the Israeli military directed thousands of Palestinians in eastern Gaza City to move to western and southern areas and opened fire on them as soon as they arrived.
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He further said that according to Al-Thawbata, rescue teams have recovered 70 bodies from the Tal al-Hawa area and at least 50 people are still missing.
“Some displaced people were carrying white flags and pointing at the Israeli army, saying, 'We are not fighters; we are displaced people.' But the Israeli occupation forces brutally killed these displaced people,” al-Thawabta said.
“The Israeli army was planning to commit genocide in Tal al-Hawa.”
He called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its “war of annihilation” against the Palestinians.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric condemned the recovery of bodies in Gaza city, calling it another tragic example of the impact the ongoing conflict has on civilians.
The incident joins a series of devastating incidents that have caused massive loss of life and property and displacement of people in Gaza.
According to reports, the death toll in the incident has risen to more than 70, while many others are injured. The United Nations has reiterated its call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all those taken hostage during the conflict.
“While this conflict continues, it is not only impossible to provide people with the necessary medical assistance, food, shelter, but also to give them a dignified burial,” Dujarric said.
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there would be “accountability” when the conflict in Gaza ended. “But right now, people are hungry. People need water. People need medical help. And that's what we're trying to do in the middle of a war zone,” he said.
The West Bank has also seen a surge in violence since Israel's war on Gaza began in October.
At least 553 Palestinians have been killed and 9,510 detained by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank, according to Palestinian officials.
About 3 million Palestinians live in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where more than 500,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements.