"We Are Body Without Soul": Palestinians After Israel Withdraw From Khan Younis (X image @ZainAbbadi11)
After 22 days of atrocious military operations, the Israel’s 98th division has wrapped up operations in Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis, said the military, as reported by Al Jazeera. The announcement came amidst the reports that Israeli forces are pulling out from Khan Younis of Gaza.
The occupation force said Palestinians can go back to the neighbourhoods of Hamad, al-Jalaa and al-Qarara in Khan Younis. It was evacuated as the military started an operation in Khan Younis and was temporarily removed from, what the military calls, the humanitarian zone.
Israel has long history of attacking the so-called “safe zones”. Major international humanitarian NGOs have agreed that there is no safe place in Gaza, despite Israel’s claims.
According to the report, the rescue workers are now searching for bodies of the Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes. Footages shown on social media platforms of the Palestinians showed a trail of bodies and destruction on the streets.
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The aftermath of Israeli army’s incursion in the areas were damaged public facilities, infrastructure, and remaining residential buildings that people had hoped to go back to. The Palestinians are now going back to piles of rubbles, and large swathes of waste lands.
Several bodies including those of women and children are taken to Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital. Palestinians returning to their places, who thought they had surviving family members in the region are concerned about the remnants of body parts being collected from the streets.
It is not clear if the retreat is permanent or temporary. The Palestinians do not trust Israeli army to keep up their hopes. The new retreat came after deadliest attacks on the Palestinians since the beginning of the war, and since 2002.
The Palestinians were seen waving flags standing on the rubbles of what once used to be their homes. Speaking to media, one Palestinian said, “you witness us as we are a body without a soul…we are a body without a soul”.
“We are a body without a soul” — Listen to the words of a Palestinian man in Khan Younis speak to how much suffering the people in Gaza have endured.
Israel has killed over 40,602 people and injured at least 93,855 since October 7. Thousands of people remain missing, either… pic.twitter.com/ZZ8ABEjCAg
— red. (@redstreamnet) August 30, 2024
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Having lost hope in the ceasefire talks, the man said “Negotiations do not benefit us. Every time negotiation starts, we wake up to a massacre. We wake up to a Nakba (Catastrophe)…we have lost ourselves”.
Earlier footages of the areas, where the Israeli army has been reigning terror were mind numbing. Several refugee camps were destroyed. Palestinians had to pick up the dead in plastic bags as there were only body parts to collect.
