Rescue operations commence as Israel pounds Shati refugee camp

Recuse operations have commenced after at least nine people were killed in an Israeli missile attack on the Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.

Amjad Hajaj, a resident at the camp, said the missile hit a school in the camp housing many displaced people.

“This building, which consists of three floors, was targeted by a very powerful missile which destroyed all three floors. People were pulled out in pieces,” he told Al Jazeera.

“The missile was extremely devastating and the explosion deafening,” he said.

“Many children were injured by the shrapnel from this missile that hit the school.”

Israeli forces tightened their siege on Jabalia, encircling the camp with tanks and issuing evacuation orders. Residents reported Israeli forces besieging shelters, detaining men, and bombing houses. Hospitals face severe shortages, with medical staff refusing orders to evacuate.

At least 42,519 people have been killed and 99,637 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.