Palestinian Human Rights Center: Israel Attempts to Erase Zeytun Neighborhood from the Map

Filistin Human Rights Center (PCHR) has stated in a written announcement that the Israeli army has been conducting destructive attacks in the Zeytun neighborhood located in the northern Gaza Strip for the past 8 days. This marks the 9th major attack on Zeytun neighborhood by Israel since October 7, 2023. The ongoing attacks have led to the destruction of hundreds of homes and structures, forcing the residents of Zeytun neighborhood into mass displacement. The scenes of destruction are leaving no living conditions in Gaza city, in preparation for a military occupation of the city. The previous 8 ground attacks, along with aerial bombardments and artillery shelling, have caused massive devastation in the Zeytun region, and now Israel is attempting to wipe out the entire Zeytun neighborhood from the map covering an area of 9,156 acres. The Human Rights Center Director, Raci es-Surani, expressed concerns about the widespread destruction policy that Israel is pursuing to dehumanize Gaza city. The atrocities, violence, and demolition in Zeytun neighborhood resulted in mass exodus. The fear is that this will lead to the forced displacement of Palestinians in a narrow area in the southern Gaza Strip. Surani urged the international community to take urgent action against the destruction and displacement plans in Gaza and prevent a new catastrophe for the Palestinian people. Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor stated in an announcement on August 16 that Israel's 6-day attacks had left Zeytun neighborhood, one of the largest residential areas in Gaza, completely destroyed, with around 400 homes demolished by remote-controlled explosives, airstrikes, and artillery fire. Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan to occupy Gaza city in the northern Gaza Strip on August 8. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned in an interview with Fox News before the cabinet meeting that they aimed to occupy the entire Gaza Strip. However, reports in the media prior to the cabinet meeting indicated that the occupation plan would be carried out in stages, with the attacks beginning in Gaza city and later extending to the camps where Palestinian refugees reside in the central region.