A devastating Israeli airstrike on the Abu Hameisa displacement shelter in Al-Bureij refugee camp on Saturday claimed the lives of at least 30 Palestinians and wounded over 100 more, according to local sources.

Rescue teams continue to search through rubble, and the death toll is expected to rise further.

Many of the victims were women and children who had sought safety in the overcrowded UN-run shelter. Survivors and witnesses described scenes of chaos and horror as the attack tore through tents and makeshift huts in the central Gaza camp.

Medical staff at Al-Awda Hospital received dozens of injured, including severely wounded children, while others remained trapped beneath collapsed debris. A spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed that rescue efforts are being hampered by ongoing bombardment, making it nearly impossible to reach some of the victims.

Hamas condemns the massacre

In a strongly worded statement, Hamas denounced the strike as a calculated assault on the most vulnerable civilians: “The Zionist occupation forces committed a horrific massacre by bombing a shelter housing displaced families in Al-Bureij camp—most victims were women and children,” the group said.

“Targeting civilians in UN-run shelters, amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions, proves Israel’s intent to escalate its genocide against our people.”

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The strike comes amid an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over two million people face severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and shelter due to the ongoing Israeli siege and bombardment. UN agencies and aid organizations have repeatedly warned that Gaza is on the brink of famine and that attacks on civilian infrastructure constitute clear violations of international law.

International Outcry Grows

Human rights advocates and international observers have called for urgent action to protect civilians and for accountability for war crimes. Many have urged the United Nations to enforce no-fly zones and to ensure immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian relief into Gaza.

As rescue teams race against time to save survivors and retrieve the dead, Palestinian leaders and civil society groups vow to continue documenting every atrocity and pressuring the international community to intervene and halt the violence. (ILKHA)