Dead bodies strewn on streets of besieged Gaza City

After five days of intense Israeli attacks in western Gaza City, tanks retreated from some of the residential areas they have been attacking since the end of the truce on Friday. 

In their wake, they have left widespread destruction and death. 

Mohammad al-Hajjar, an MEE contributor, was trapped at home with his family, like many Palestinians in the city. 

He said anyone who dared to move was immediately targeted with gunfire from tanks and drones. For five days, it was so quiet in the neighbourhood that you would be able to hear a pin drop, he said. 

"When someone shouted 'God is great' in defiance, the house he was in was shelled," Hajjar recounted.

"We tried to keep silent and avoid windows as much as possible."  

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli tanks retreated for a distance of about 300 metres, without explanation. Families, coming out after five days of siege, are now assessing the extent of the damage left behind. 

Hajjar says he saw three bodies strewn on his street when he stepped out to dump the rubbish for the first time in days. 

"One of them was shot about 20 metres from my house," Hajjar said. 

People who attempted to flee amid the attacks were shot, he added, with some escaping the bullets and others dying on the spot.

No ambulances have been able to reach the area for days.