Israeli Attacks Kill 32 in Gaza, Destroy Bulldozers Recovering the Dead

Israeli Attacks Kill 32 in Gaza, Destroy Bulldozers Recovering the Dead
Gaza Strip — April 23, 2025
According to health officials in the besieged enclave, a new round of Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling has killed at least 32 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip. The attacks, which intensified overnight, also destroyed critical civil defense equipment, including bulldozers used to retrieve bodies from the rubble of previous strikes.
The Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed that the fatalities included women and children, with dozens more injured. The majority of casualties were reported in the neighborhoods of Shujaiya, Khan Younis, and Rafah — areas that have endured relentless bombardment over the past several months.
In Rafah, a city in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border, a civil defense crew was targeted while attempting to retrieve victims buried under the remains of a collapsed residential building. Two bulldozers and a fire truck were destroyed in the strike, rendering emergency crews helpless amid the ruins.
A civil defense worker on the scene, Mahmoud Abu Zayed, stated, "We are digging with our hands now." "The equipment was our only chance, alive or dead, to reach people beneath the debris." Without it, every rescue mission becomes a grave risk.”
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the attacks, claiming that they were directed at "terrorist infrastructure" and claiming that Hamas and other armed groups were operating from civilian areas. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a brief statement that "precision strikes" were carried out based on intelligence about the presence of militants and weapons depots.
However, Palestinian officials and humanitarian organizations have condemned the destruction of rescue vehicles and the targeting of emergency crews as violations of international humanitarian law.
“These actions are not just attacks on people but on the very means of saving lives,” said Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Ministry of Health. “When bulldozers and emergency vehicles are destroyed, the message is clear: leave the dead to rot under the rubble.”
Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes following the bombardments. In central Gaza, residents scrambled through dust and debris in the dark, calling out the names of missing relatives. The sounds of ambulances, often delayed by the rubble-strewn roads, were overshadowed by distant explosions and the hum of surveillance drones overhead.
The latest wave of violence comes amid a broader escalation in the conflict, now entering its seventh month since the October 2024 outbreak of war. Health authorities in Gaza claim that over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority of whom are civilians. On the Israeli side, officials report over 1,400 deaths, primarily during the initial Hamas-led attack that sparked the war.
International calls for a ceasefire have continued, but diplomatic efforts remain stalled. Due to disagreements between Israeli and Hamas negotiators regarding hostage releases and aid guarantees, a recent attempt by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to broker a humanitarian pause was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies warn that conditions in Gaza are deteriorating at an alarming pace. Nearly 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), have been forced from their homes. Many of them are living in overcrowded schools and makeshift camps without access to food, water, or medical care. Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, stated, "Destroying civil defense equipment further erodes Gaza’s ability to cope with the humanitarian catastrophe." "It is crucial that all parties respect the neutrality of infrastructure and humanitarian workers." Israeli officials have said that their military campaign was necessary to stop Hamas, which they say uses civilians as human shields, and they have defended it. In a televised address, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy stated, "The terrorists who embed themselves in homes, hospitals, and schools bear the responsibility for civilian suffering." In response, Hamas warned of retaliation, vowing to continue resisting Israeli operations “by all means necessary.” The group also accused Israel of committing war crimes and urged the international community to intervene.
As the sun rose over Gaza, the sounds of digging — with shovels, crowbars, and bare hands — echoed through the ruins. Families clung to hope, even as the tools of rescue lay twisted and broken under the scorched metal of targeted vehicles.
Abu Zayed, the civil defense worker, said, "We are not just losing lives." "We are losing the ability to mourn them even."