Gaza Catastrophe: Stray Dogs Feast on Victims' Bodies as Israeli Forces Block Rescue Teams, Violating Geneva Conventions

Officials from the Civil Defense and ambulance services in the Gaza Strip have unveiled details of a chilling humanitarian tragedy, confirming their complete inability to retrieve dozens of martyrs' bodies scattered across the streets, particularly in areas like Al-Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, and Sheikh Radwan. This inaction is due to the absolute and repeated refusal to coordinate by Israeli occupation forces, who are reportedly firing on anyone who approaches.

Fares Afana, Director of Ambulance and Emergency Services in Gaza City and the Northern Strip, confirmed in an interview that the inability to retrieve the corpses stems from the occupation forces' refusal to coordinate with the teams. Afana noted that this blockade also affects dozens of trapped casualties beneath the rubble, leading to a significant number of the wounded dying where they lay.

Stray Dogs Mutilate Corpses Under Fire

Afana described ghastly scenes in these neighborhoods, where stray dogs have begun mutilating the bodies that have been left in the streets for days. He asserted that Israeli forces stationed there are firing live rounds and artillery shells at anyone attempting to get near.

The operational radius of Civil Defense teams has been dramatically restricted to a "very limited number of streets" due to the intense Israeli military presence. The crisis is compounded by the rubble from bombed residential towers, which has blocked many roads leading to the areas where the trapped and deceased are located, according to Afana.

Shocking Statistics: 96% of Coordination Requests Rejected

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense, provided statistics highlighting the severity of the obstruction: Israel has rejected 26 out of 27 coordination requests submitted over the past 22 days, a staggering 96% rejection rate. Furthermore, over 70 requests for urgent intervention in specific areas were denied in just the last few hours.

Basal emphasized that the Israeli army's refusal to coordinate operations constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions, which oblige warring parties not to obstruct or target ambulance teams. He underscored the human cost, noting that Gaza's ambulance services received 320 distress calls from Al-Sabra and Tal al-Hawa last week, yet were unable to reach any of the wounded due to the occupation firing on their teams.

Basal cited a tragic plea from a resident who witnessed a stray dog dragging away the corpse of one of his children—left in the street—after occupation forces prevented rescuers from accessing the area. Basal warned that Al-Sabra and Tal al-Hawa are now facing the same tragic scenario as the Northern Strip did six months ago. He urged the world and humanitarian organizations to intervene immediately to stop the war and secure access for ambulance and rescue teams, whose purely humanitarian work is guaranteed by international law "without anyone's permission."