GAZA CITY, Palestine

The bodies of 10 Palestinians were recovered on Friday after the Israeli army withdrew from areas in the southern Gaza Strip.

Medical sources at the Nasser Hospital told Anadolu that the bodies of the Palestinians were brought in from central and eastern Khan Younis following the withdrawal of the Israeli army from those areas.

The withdrawal marks the end of a 22-day military offensive in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The offensive left behind significant destruction, with residential buildings, streets, and infrastructure suffering extensive damage, according to witnesses.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,800 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi