Israel unleashed heavy shelling and artillery fire on central Gaza during its operation to rescue four hostages Saturday.
Nidal Abdo says he was shopping in Nuseirat when a “crazy bombardment” hit.
“There are children torn apart and scattered in the streets. They wiped out Nuseirat. It is hell on earth,” he said.
The Gaza goverment media office says more than 200 Palestinians were killed, and over 400 others wounded, in the raid. CNN cannot independently confirm that figure, and there is no clarity on the breakdown of civilian and militant casualties.
CNN video from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital showed many people carrying wounded children in their arms, covered in blood. More kids crowded the floor of the emergency room. People screamed and cried as they said goodbye to loved ones at the morgue.
Hamas, which took the hostages from Israel in the October 7 attacks that preceded the current Gaza invasion, described Saturday’s Israeli operation as a “horrific massacre against innocent civilians” in a statement.
The images below show more of the scenes from central Gaza today:
