The Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, said on Sunday the Israeli occupation forces perpetrated a massacre against civilians at dawn today in Al-Shujaieh region in Gaza resulting in death of scores of people, amid reports up to 50 might have lost their life.
"This genocide will not break will of the Palestinian people," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zahri in a statement. "The Palestinian resistance will continue to inflict heavy losses among the occupation forces and will not allow them to set a foot on Gaza," he warned.
"The occupation forces are trying to make up for their failure in confronting the resistance by targeting the civilians and carrying out a scorched earth policy," Abu Zuhri said. "Most of our martyrs are women, children and old persons and the occupation is trying to force us to our knees and prevent us from defending our people and this will not happen for the resistance is embraced by the people and they call for retaliation for these genocides." Abu Zuhri's remarks came after a night of heavy bombardment of this district, amid reports shell-shocked and panicked civilians fled their houses, barefoot and in pajamas. TV footages last night showed the dark skies over Gaza lit up with Israeli-fired flares with intensive booms caused by artillery and tank attacks.
Palestinian medical sources confirmed the overnight Israeli attacks with artillery and rockets on Al-Shujaieh left scores of people dead and hundreds wounded.
According to initial reports, the overnight attacks killed up to 50 Palestinians including whole families. Many have been buried under heaps of rubble caused by the bombardment on buildings and houses.
Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as "human shields." Gaza is one of the most densely-populated regions worldwide, with more than 1.5 million people crammed in this narrow strip of land.