More than 1,000 buildings destroyed in Gaza, civilians buried alive in latest assault by Israel
By isabelle // 2025-08-28
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  • Israel is systematically demolishing Gaza City neighborhoods, burying families alive under relentless shelling and blocked rescue efforts.
  • Entire districts like Zeitoun and Sabra have been erased, forcing nearly one million Palestinians into unsafe "humanitarian zones" under the guise of targeting Hamas.
  • Israel’s blockade restricts food to 245 calories per person daily, weaponizing starvation with 289 deaths from malnutrition, including 115 children.
  • Aid operations like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation function as a "bureaucracy of starvation," with Israeli forces massacring civilians at distribution sites.
  • Historical parallels to Nazi rationing reveal a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing, with global complicity as the U.S. funds Israel’s war machine.
Israel is systematically demolishing entire neighborhoods, burying families under rubble while blocking food, water, and medical aid in Gaza City, where more than 1,000 buildings in the once-thriving Zeitoun and Sabra districts have been reduced to rubble since August 6. The Palestinian Civil Defence reports hundreds trapped beneath collapsed structures, with emergency crews unable to reach them due to relentless shelling and blocked roads. This isn’t just war; it’s a calculated campaign of destruction, displacement, and starvation. For generations, Zeitoun was known for its bustling markets, olive groves, and tight-knit communities. Now, it’s a wasteland. “We were sleeping, and at midnight, the roof collapsed on our heads,” recalled Feryal Ahmed, a survivor. “I called their names, Ibrahim, Mahdi, Mohamed, Sanad, but I couldn’t see them because of all the rubble and the dust.” Her words paint a horrifying picture: families waking to their homes crumbling around them, children buried alive, and parents left screaming in the dark.

A city erased, a people displaced

Israel’s military claims it’s targeting Hamas strongholds, but the scale of destruction tells a different story. Entire residential blocks, schools, mosques, and water networks have been obliterated. “The destruction is far greater than just the buildings,” said Asem al-Nabih, a Gaza municipality spokesperson. “Most of the infrastructure… has been severely damaged, which makes life and living here almost impossible.” Meanwhile, Israeli tanks roll deeper into Sabra, forcing nearly one million Palestinians southward into so-called “humanitarian zones” that offer no real safety. The displacement is no accident. It’s part of a broader pattern of ethnic cleansing. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, warned that famine is now the “last calamity” gripping Gaza. “People are enduring hell in all shapes,” he said. Yet Israel continues to restrict aid, allowing as little as 245 calories per person daily—less than a can of beans—while the World Health Organization’s emergency minimum is 2,100. The result? Starvation as a weapon. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 289 deaths from malnutrition since the war began, including 115 children. Israel’s blockade isn’t just about cutting off food; it’s about erasing Palestinian life. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by Israel and the U.S., operates as a “bureaucracy of starvation,” rationing suffering rather than relief. In February, Israeli forces massacred 30 Palestinians near an aid drop in Rafah, wounding 170 more. The foundation’s director resigned in protest, calling the operation a violation of humanitarian principles. Yet the world watches in silence as children scavenge for scraps and families eat leaves to survive. The parallels to history are chilling. In 1941, Nazi Germany rationed food by race, allotting Jews just 20% of the calories given to Germans. Today, Gaza’s entire population faces famine by design. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared, “Not a grain of wheat” should enter Gaza. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s policy. The goal? To make life unbearable, forcing Palestinians to flee or die.

No safe place in Gaza

Even as Israel bombs hospitals and displacement camps, it demands Palestinians relocate—only to bomb them there, too. “There is no safe area in the Gaza Strip,” the Civil Defence warned. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary reported families fleeing under quadcopter fire, with some trapped and unable to escape. “It was [nearly] impossible for them to stay alive,” she said. The message is clear: Gaza is a death zone, and Israel is the architect. As Israel’s war machine grinds on, the international community’s response has been shamefully inadequate. The U.S. continues to fund and arm Israel, while Western media downplays the atrocities. Yet the truth is undeniable: Gaza is being starved, bombed, and cleansed in plain sight. The question isn’t whether this is happening; it’s whether the world will finally act before it’s too late. The people of Gaza aren’t just statistics. They’re mothers like Feryal, searching for their children in the rubble. They’re children like those in Zeitoun, who once played among olive trees and now face a future of hunger and homelessness. If we allow this to continue, we’re not just witnesses to genocide—we’re its accomplices. The time for outrage is now. The time for action was yesterday. Sources for this article include: SHTFPlan.com AlJazeera.com AlJazeera.com
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