GAZA CITY: The Gaza government’s media office said on Sunday that the Israeli army has dropped 40,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, with the apparent goal of rendering the enclave uninhabitable.
Salama Maarouf, the head of the media office, issued a statement on Telegram on the third day of the temporary humanitarian pause between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on Friday morning.
“The Israeli occupation forces have dropped 40,000 tons of explosives on the Strip (since Oct. 7), and the atrocities of the occupation (forces) have unfolded away from the scrutiny of cameras,” Marouf said.
He explained that “the bombs recently used by the occupation (forces) have never been used before, and hundreds of martyrs are buried in the places where they died. The devastation by the occupation (forces) reflects its intent to make Gaza uninhabitable.”
In the statement, Maarouf also discussed the temporary pause, emphasizing that “the days of respite have laid bare the enormity of the significant massacre, resulting in substantial destruction to infrastructure and residences.”
“One-third of the Gaza Strip’s population has yet to receive essential supplies, and the absence of all international institutions is evident,” he stated, calling on the international community to act.
“There is a pressing need for the establishment of a sizable field hospital,” he added.
Four Hamas leaders killed during Israeli war on Gaza since Oct. 7
Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, said on Sunday that four of its leaders had been killed since Oct 7, including Ahmed Al-Ghandour, a member of the Military Council and commander of the Northern Brigade.
“The Al-Qassam Brigades is mourning a group of its heroic leaders, namely Commander Ahmed Al-Ghandour, known as Abu Anas, a member of the Military Council, the commander of the Northern Brigade, and the leaders: Wael Rajab, Raafat Salman, and Ayman Siam,” the group said in a statement.
The Al-Qassam Brigades did not provide any information about the dates of their deaths.
The brigades also declared their “commitment to the freedom path.”
The Israeli army had previously announced in separate statements that it had killed Hamas leaders in airstrikes on Gaza. However, most Israeli strikes have resulted in heavy civilian casualties as well as massive infrastructure destruction.
A four-day humanitarian pause, mediated by Qatar, went into effect on Friday, temporarily halting Israel’s onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
In the first two days of the humanitarian pause, Israel and Hamas exchanged 41 Israelis and foreigners for 78 Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Under the agreement, the hostages and prisoners will be released in batches during the course of four days.
Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave. The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.
