The northern region of Gaza has been transformed into a desolate war zone, following the violent conflict between Israel and Hamas. The once bustling neighborhoods are now reduced to rubble, with the stench of decaying bodies permeating the air.

The war has claimed more than 11,000 lives, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and thousands of people are believed to be buried under the debris.

A group of journalists, including the author, were escorted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) into Gaza, with the primary destination being al-Shifa Hospital, the largest healthcare facility in Gaza. The IDF is keen to demonstrate that the hospital was being used as a military base by Hamas, although the evidence remains inconclusive.

The journalists were not allowed to interact with locals or disclose certain military operations. The IDF’s control over the region appears to be firm, with no resistance from Hamas fighters.

The IDF is under pressure to provide conclusive evidence to justify the humanitarian toll of its attacks in and around hospitals in Gaza. The IDF maintains that Hamas’s brutality left them with no choice but to engage in the conflict.

Read more at The Washington Post.