The small, densely populated strip of land is now packed with bodies.
Those killed by the war are considered ritually pure under Islamic tradition, so their bodies are not washed, he said.
The Israeli Hamas war has now lasted 11 months and talks are now underway to reach a ceasefire.
The offensive has left a swath of destruction across the territory and driven the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes, often multiple times.
Diplomats hope it would persuade Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah to hold off on retaliating for the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in an Israeli- airstrike in Beirut and of Hamas’ top political leader in an explosion in Tehran.
Successive evacuation orders and military operations in Gaza have driven hundreds of thousands of people into a so-called humanitarian zone along the coast where they live in crowded tent camps with few services.
Aid groups have struggled to deliver food and supplies, prompting warnings of famine.
About the Gaza conflict
The Gaza conflict is a longstanding and complex issue that has been a major point of contention in the Middle East for decades.
At its core, the conflict revolves around the Israeli-Palestinian dispute over land and self-determination.
Gaza, a coastal region bordering Egypt and Israel, has been a focal point of tensions due to its strategic location and the large number of Palestinian refugees living there.
The situation escalated in 2007 when Hamas, a militant Islamist group, seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority.
Israel responded by imposing a blockade on the region, restricting the movement of people and goods. This has led to widespread poverty, unemployment, and humanitarian crises, with many Gazans relying on international aid to survive.
The conflict has seen numerous outbreaks of violence, including several wars between Israel and Hamas.
The most recent conflict in 2021 saw devastating consequences, with hundreds of Palestinians killed and thousands more displaced.
The international community has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement, but a lasting resolution remains elusive.
A major obstacle to peace is the issue of settlements and borders.
Israel’s continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is seen as a major barrier to a two-state solution, which is widely regarded as the most feasible path to peace.
Meanwhile, Hamas’s refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist has made it difficult to negotiate a lasting ceasefire.
