‘Our dream home destroyed in a second’: Gaza residents bear the brunt of Israeli strikes

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“I was sitting at home and now I’m displaced,” Ahmed Al Aosatath, a resident of Deir Al Balah, in central Gaza, told media, after his home was destroyed early on Monday in an Israeli air strike.

At least 132 Palestinians were killed in overnight bombings, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported, as the besieged enclave was also hit by a communications blackout.

The ministry said that Israel conducted “intense” strikes and artillery bombardments that hit the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, as well as Deir Al Balah and areas further north around Gaza city.

Two hospitals, a girls’ school and dozens of homes were among those destroyed in the attack.

The Israeli military accuses Hamas of having tunnels under hospitals and using them as command centres, as well as exploiting civilian infrastructure in general to shield its activities. Hamas denies this.

Mr Al Aostath told media that he is terrified as one of the bombs that targeted his family home didn’t explode and remains outside.

“The house is partially destroyed and is unsuitable to live in,” he said.

He had hoped to retrieve personal items that could be of use, but found that everything was destroyed.

“We spent years building our dream house, and then in one second everything exploded. This is our fate as Palestinians,” he said.

Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf Al Qidra, said the Israeli army deliberately destroyed residential neighbourhoods, along with healthcare system and infrastructure.

Israel’s military campaign on Gaza has killed total of 24,100 Palestinians while 60,834 have been injured in Israeli strikes since the war began, the Gaza health ministry said on Monday.