Khuza'a town in Gaza declared ‘disaster zone’ amid Israeli onslaught

The Khuza'a town, located east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, has been declared a "completely devastated disaster zone" on Saturday due to relentless Israeli attacks that have decimated the area.

According to a statement from the Khuza'a municipality, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have flattened homes, health facilities, schools, roads, and critical infrastructure, rendering them inoperable.

The intensity of the assault forced all remaining residents to flee under heavy bombardment and fire, it said, adding the scale of destruction has exceeded all estimations, leaving the town "entirely out of service."

Eastern areas of Khan Younis, particularly the towns of Khuza'a, Al-Qarara, Abasan, and Bani Suheila, have been subjected to widespread bombardment and systematic demolition by Israeli forces. Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the destruction of buildings continues on a large scale.

Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million population.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his 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 crimes against civilians in the enclave.