UNITED NATIONS, Jun 10 (APP): The scenes of devastation witnessed in the aftermath of Israel’s massive military operation to release hostages from the Nuseirat refugee camp proves that each day the war continues “it only grows more horrific” the UN’s top humanitarian official said on Sunday.
At least 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 wounded in Israeli strikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry said on Sunday, with the death toll sparking international outrage.
The Israeli military said its forces came under heavy fire during the daytime operation.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, called it a “massacre”, while the UN’s aid chief described in graphic detail scenes of “shredded bodies on the ground”.
“Nuseirat refugee camp is the epicentre of the seismic trauma that civilians in Gaza continue to suffer, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said in a post on X, calling for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
The bodies of 109 Palestinians including 23 children and 11 women were taken to al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, which also treated more than 100 wounded, a spokesperson, Khalil Degran, said.
He also said more than 100 people killed in Israeli attacks had been taken to al-Awda hospital, with 210 victims in total. That figure was also given by the Hamas media office, but could not be verified.
Scores of hostages are believed to be held in densely populated areas or inside Hamas’ labyrinth of tunnels, making such operations extremely complex and risky, according to the UN. A similar raid in February rescued two hostages while leaving 74 Palestinians dead.
According to media reports, while Israelis celebrated their return, Palestinians in Gaza mourned the many dead, or watched over injured loved ones in the overcrowded al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital.
Borrell, in a post on X condemned “in the strongest terms … reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians”. He called for a cease-fire and the release of all remaining hostages. “The bloodbath must end immediately,” he said.
As the war drags on into its ninth month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing international pressure to agree a cease-fire deal and domestic pressure to secure the return of all Israelis still held in Gaza
In his tweet, , UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “I renew my appeal for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for an end to this war.”
Griffiths asserted that “all civilians must be protected. This collective agony can and must end now.”
“Seeing bloodied patients being treated on hospital floors, we are reminded that health-care in Gaza is hanging by a thread.”
Video from Al-Aqsa Hospital in the aftermath of the fighting and bombardment shows numerous casualties lying on the floor while the director of Al-Adwa Hospital in Nuseirat reported that no morgue is available at the hospital to house the bodies of the dead.
Meanwhile, Negotiations continue for a comprehensive cease-fire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas but a United States-led proposal presented on 31 May has not been accepted by either side.