Night of Terror in Gaza leaves 100 dead and families in despair

Families were taken by surprise as they slept when Israeli bombs destroyed their homes; Residents flee in chaos and destruction

Nearly 100 people, including children, died in a large terrestrial, air and maritime attack of Israel held on Friday (16) in northern Gaza, according to the local Civil Defense, controlled by Hamas, and residents. The Civil Defense stated that at least nine houses and stalls with civilians were bombarded at night and received dozens of calls from people arrested under rubble. Witnesses reported smoke bombs, artillery shots and tanks in Beit Lahia.

The Israeli army said it is “acting to locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructures” in northern Gaza and “eliminated multiple terrorists” in recent hours. This is the largest terrestrial attack in the region since Israel resumed its offensive in March.

Survivors report desperate escape

Basheer al-Ghandour, who fled from Beit Lahia to Jabalia after the attack, told the BBC that people were sleeping when an “intense bombing” began at night.

“My brother’s house collapsed. There were 25 people inside,” he said. Eleven were injured and five died, including their 5 and 18 -year -old nieces and a 15 -year -old nephew. He and others tried to rescue relatives from the rubble.

“My brother’s wife is still under the wreckage. We couldn’t get her out of there. We had to escape because the bombings were very intense,” he said. “We left barefoot, without taking anything – neither furniture, nor food, no flour.”

Another survivor, Yousif Salem, said he narrowly escaped with his three children. “An air strike hit our neighbors’ house – no one survived,” he said. When he tried to leave, an Israeli drone opened fire, he said.

Evacuation orders cause panic

Israeli planes launched pamphlets ordering residents immediately to leave several areas of northern Gaza, increasing fears of an expansion of military operation in one of the most densely populated regions of the territory.

The orders have caused panic among families already displaced several times since the beginning of the war. Many have nowhere to go.

“I swear I don’t know where we’re going,” said Sana Marouf, who fled with her family in a wagon pulled by donkey in Gaza City. “We have no mattresses, blankets, food or water.”

The attack occurs after Israeli bombings in southern Gaza kill more than 120 people on Thursday. The Israeli army said it had reached more than 150 “terrorist targets” in Gaza in the last 24 hours.

Humanitarian crisis gets worse

Israel maintains a total blockade of humanitarian aid in Gaza for over 10 weeks, a widely condemned UN and other countries. A recent UN report warned that the entire population of Gaza – about 2.1 million people – at a critical risk of hunger.

The Israeli government insists that “there is no shortage” of food and accuses Hamas of diverting help. Meanwhile, the US proposed a new UN -rejected private company distribution system.

The conflict began after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people. Since then, more than 53,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, according to local authorities. Fifty -eight hostages are still held by Hamas, up to 23 being considered alive.

With information from BBC*