“Dead bodies are everywhere, and no one is here to pick them up.”

This is the scene that Middle East Eye correspondent Mohammed al-Hajjar saw on Wednesday morning in what was the al-Karama complex, an area in Gaza that contained several residential towers housing hundreds of families.

The Israeli military dropped 100 bombs on the neighbourhood in two hours on Tuesday night as people were inside their homes, eyewitnesses have said.

The continues bombing from 8pm to 10pm completely destroyed roads leading to the area, rending emergency workers unable to reach the wounded.

Almost 12 hours later, and bodies are still scattered all over the place and the wounded have yet to be evacuated to hospitals.

“It was heinous, indiscriminate bombardment without warning,” Abdelaziz Helo, a resident who survived the bombing, told Middle East Eye.

“People were in their homes when the bombs began raining down on the area hysterically. It turned it into a block of flame. No women, no children, no men were able to move or leave the area,” he said.

“We were going door to door looking for each other. I couldn’t identity my own children from all the smoke and blood covering us.”

Initial reports say the army used thermobaric weaponry (vacuum bombs) and white phosphorus in the attack. Middle East Eye could not indefinitely verify the reports.

Prior to the onslaught, resident of the area had lost connection and contact with the outside world, Helo said. They were also running short on water and food.

“It was a massacre targeting civilian. This is a civilian residential area. There is not even the slightest feature of any military equipment or work here. They did not warn us or send any messages beforehand,” Helo said.

“We had told relatives in other areas to come stay with us because this is considered a safe area. We did not expect it to be bombed like this.

“The occupation has failed against the resistance fighters, so they are now targeting innocent people – the elderly, women, children – as a form revenge. For the purpose of destruction and nothing else. It’s collective punishment.”

Source: Middle East Eye