Israeli military retreats from northern Gaza, leaving dozens of Palestinians killed and razing neighborhoods to the ground

At least 50 Palestinians were found killed on Friday, local authorities said, after the Israeli military pulled back from several areas in central and northern Gaza, leaving entire neighborhoods razed and residents reeling from a spate of heavy attacks.

At least 50 Palestinians were found killed on Friday, local authorities said, after the Israeli military pulled back from several areas in central and northern Gaza, leaving entire neighborhoods razed and residents reeling from a spate of heavy attacks. Emergency crews recovered 50 to 60 bodies in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in the west of Gaza City, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense. Many more were trapped under the debris, spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told CNN. Further east in the city, Israeli bombardment destroyed vital infrastructure in the Shujaya neighborhood, said Asem Al-Nabih, a media officer at the Gaza Municipality. Footage obtained by CNN showed rescue staff in Tal al-Hawa wading through blown out buildings, and clambering over slabs of fallen concrete piled on top of old mattresses. The limbs of dead Palestinians could be seen peeking out from under the rubble, as workers attempted to retrieve those buried by the devastation. “There is unprecedented destruction of infrastructure and vital facilities in the Shujaya… and Tal al-Hawa areas,” Al-Nabih told CNN. “The municipality is trying to deliver water to displaced citizens with great difficulty.” More than nine months of fighting in Gaza has turned swathes of the territory into rubble-filled wasteland. The Israeli military offensive following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks has triggered a sprawling humanitarian crisis, crushed the health system and depleted food and water supplies. The UN warned Tuesday of widespread famine across the strip, and relief workers say Israeli aid restrictions mean they are unable to support Palestinians trying to survive the war. Human rights agencies reiterated calls for a ceasefire, as negotiations between Israel and Hamas this week hit yet another roadblock. Israel launched its military offensive on October 7 after the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, attacked southern Israel. At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others abducted, according to Israeli authorities.