Witnesses are describing the horrific aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that occurred in a refugee camp in Gaza on Saturday, February 1, 2021. The strike killed 10 Palestinians, including eight children, and injured 48 others.
The attack took place on a residential neighborhood in the Jabalia refugee camp north of Gaza City. Upon hearing the airstrike, children at a nearby school panicked and ran outside in fear, screaming in terror.
Local resident Abeer al-Rakia, who lives near the camp, recalled that when she got to the site, she saw carnage and felt helpless as she watched the children help each other.
“I saw children carrying other injured children,” she said. “They were helping each other, instead of adults helping them.”
The attack occurred a day after Gaza militants fired rockets towards Jerusalem in retaliation for the eviction of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. It is believed that the Israeli airstrike was in response to the rockets.
The strike brings the death toll from the conflict to 148 over the past week, including 41 children and 22 women, according to Hamas. The attack has been strongly condemned by Palestinian officials, who have called it a violation of international law and an act of aggression.
Israel has consistently argued that its military actions are in self-defence in response to rocket attacks by militant groups in Gaza. However, the human toll of the conflict is undeniable, as witnessed by Abeer al-Rakia that day.
No matter what the political context, the senseless violence in the region has resulted in an immense tragedy and the suffering of innocent children. This strike is a stark reminder of the harsh realities and inhumanity of war, and is not one to be forgotten.
