In a grim report, stray dogs have been scavenging the remains of people killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, according to CNN. Fares Afana, head of emergency services in northern Gaza, told the network that many of the bodies recovered from areas like Jabalia, where heavy assaults have taken place, bore signs of scavenging.
“Stray dogs who are hungry are eating these bodies in the street… It makes it difficult for us to identify the bodies,” Afana explained, highlighting the extreme humanitarian toll the ongoing violence is taking on civilians.
Destruction and Casualties in Gaza
Afana accused Israeli forces of destroying all signs of life in Gaza, where the death toll from Israeli strikes has now reached over 42,000 people, predominantly civilians.
The Israeli military campaign was launched after the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas, which killed 1,206 Israelis. Since then, the conflict has caused immense suffering in Gaza, with 65 more Palestinians killed in the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
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The humanitarian crisis is worsening, with residents facing severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. Afana recounted that on Monday, Israeli troops opened fire on residents searching for food at a UN-run aid center.
Famine Risk in Gaza
The UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, has issued a dire warning of an impending famine in Gaza. Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s chief, stated that acute malnutrition and hunger were becoming real possibilities as winter approaches, and the population’s health continues to deteriorate.
“There is a real risk today… that we enter a situation where famine or acute malnutrition is unfortunately again a likelihood,” Lazzarini said at a press conference, emphasizing that urgent humanitarian action is needed to prevent further disaster. He called for convoys and food aid to be allowed into Gaza to alleviate the crisis.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has left the region almost uninhabitable, with UN officials describing it as a “wasteland” that requires immediate international intervention to avoid further catastrophe.
