Inside Gaza: Palestinian journalist, 22, says 'it's massacre, complete genocide'
A 22-year-old journalist, who has lived in Gaza her entire life, has shown ITV News around her obliterated neighbourhood following the Israeli airstrikes.
Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad has shared a rare first-person insight into the rubble-lined streets she once knew as home inside the Gaza Strip, following the Israeli air strikes.
The 22-year-old, who was born and raised in Gaza, shared her heartbreaking story with ITV News after being ousted from her house that was decimated by the bombings.
She revisited the wreckage where her family were living just days ago, standing on the rubble of her former home.
"We literally live in a ghost town right now, I can't recognise the streets, I can't even recognise my neighbourhood," she told ITV News.
Both Ms Alaqad - who has been chronicling the war on social media - and her parents have evacuated the site, heading to two different locations in Gaza.
"I got to see them today, they're doing well - but every minute that passes, the situation just gets worse and worse," she said.
With crossing points closed and nowhere to escape, 2 million people inside Gaza are bracing for an Israeli ground invasion, as ITV News' John Ray reports
"There are no words to describe what's happening, there is no connection to call people.
"There is no internet to even post about what's happening, the situation is just terrible to be honest and I can't bear it anymore."
As a group of men worked with a digger to clear debris to look for those still missing, she described the air strikes as a "massacre" and "a complete genocide."
Hundreds of missiles have been fired into Gaza since Saturday by Israel, after fighters from the Hamas militant group launched a surprise attack.
Currently, more than 2,000 people have died on both sides of the conflict.
The UN has estimated that over 263,000 people are seeking refuge after being displaced as a result of their violence.
A spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it is hitting targets, which it says are being used by Hamas to house its military bases.
Israel has cut off food, water and electricity from the narrow strip of land, which has led to calls for humanitarian corridors to be created into Gaza so that aid can be delivered.
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It has vowed to escalate its response to an attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas with a ground offensive, with soldiers amassing by the Gaza border.
Hamas militants holding Israeli soldiers and civilians hostage have threatened to kill one of the captives if Gaza is hit by air strike without warning.
But despite Israel intensifying its hits overnight, there has been no indication that Hamas has carried out its threat.