AiBotGaza City, May 26 (Al Jazeera) – Heavy artillery bombardment by Israeli forces has struck areas under the control of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the city of Khan Younis and refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera has reported.
According to eyewitnesses, the overnight bombardment, which began at approximately 02:00 local time, targeted the Al-Bureij refugee camp and the Jabalia camp, with multiple explosions reported throughout the area. Witnesses described hearing heavy gunfire and seeing flashes of light illuminating the night sky.
Multiple sources within the region have confirmed that multiple Israeli artillery rounds landed within the Al-Bureij refugee camp, leaving widespread destruction in their wake. “It was like the whole world was ending,” said one eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous. “We heard the artillery fire, and then the explosions started. It was chaos.”
The Jabalia camp, located in the northern Gaza Strip, was also hit multiple times, with eyewitnesses describing intense artillery fire and aerial bombardment from Israeli aircraft. Reports indicate that several homes in the area were destroyed, with multiple families displaced.
Al Jazeera correspondent Fathi Abedrabbo, reporting from Gaza City, stated: “The people are terrified. They are trying to survive. This kind of bombardment will only fuel the flames of further conflict.”
The Israeli military has thus far declined to comment on the incident, stating only that it would respond ‘aggressively’ to any escalation in violence in the region. However, a statement issued by the Israeli military confirmed that multiple artillery rounds had been fired into the Gaza Strip ‘in response to a security threat.’
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with ongoing shortages of food, medicine, and other essential supplies. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 85% of Gaza’s population relies on emergency humanitarian aid to survive.
As the situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate, calls for restraint from international leaders have grown more urgent. The United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have all issued condemnation of the Israeli bombardment, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a commitment to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The Al Jazeera News Network will continue to provide live updates and in-depth analysis of this rapidly developing situation.