Hamas calls footage ‘testament to Israel's brutality" amid ongoing attacks in northern Gaza
Footage aired by Al Jazeera news network showed stray dogs scavenging the bodies of lifeless Palestinians in northern Gaza, with Israeli soldiers present in the vicinity.
The distressing scenes have prompted widespread outrage, with Palestinian resistance group Hamas condemning the incidents as emblematic of the “cruelty, sadism, and inhumanity” of the Israeli military and its leadership.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Hamas described the video as further evidence of a “systematic extermination” campaign in Gaza, where humanitarian teams have been denied access to retrieve bodies and assist victims. The video depicted stray dogs mauling bodies in areas where rescue efforts have been obstructed.
The group also accused the Israeli army of deliberately attacking civilians and targeting vital infrastructure, citing ongoing strikes on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia town. These strikes have damaged water tanks, fuel supplies, and oxygen facilities essential to medical care.
Hamas labeled the Israeli acts as “war crimes committed openly before the world” and called for urgent international intervention to halt genocidal actions in Gaza.
The group urged the international community to mobilize humanitarian aid and ensure the protection of civilians, emphasizing the need for accountability for war crimes committed during Israel's ongoing genocide.
Since Oct. 5, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza to allegedly prevent Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.
Since then, no sufficient humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, was allowed into the area, leaving the remaining population there on the verge of imminent famine.
The onslaught was the latest episode in a brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 45,000 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul
