Israeli army burns displacement camp in Gaza, leaving 800 Palestinians homeless

The Israeli army burned down a displacement camp in eastern Gaza City on Sunday evening, leaving more than 800 Palestinians homeless, Gaza’s Public Works and Housing Ministry said Monday. The ministry said in a statement that Israeli quadcopter drones set fire to an entire camp near the Shujaiya junction at around 8 p.m. Sunday. The fire engulfed displacement tents and families’ few remaining belongings, displacing more than 200 families comprising over 800 Palestinians, most of them women, children, elderly people and patients, the ministry said. “The burning of the tents caused severe panic, fear and terror among the families, who were once again left without shelter or an alternative to protect them from harsh conditions,” it said. The ministry described the incident as part of a policy of “forced displacement and continuous uprooting.” It called the attack “a full-fledged war crime and crime against humanity,” saying it constituted a violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions protecting civilians during conflict. The ministry called on the international community, the UN Security Council and rights organizations to urgently intervene to stop the genocide and continued destruction in Gaza. Palestinian data indicate that Israel has intensified its attacks on the Gaza Strip ahead of Tuesday’s Israeli Knesset elections. On Friday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian said Palestinian blood had become a “winning card” in the Israeli elections. Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, the Israeli army has continued daily attacks in Gaza, killing at least 1,551 Palestinians and injuring 5,573 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000 others in Gaza, while around 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed.