ANKARA: A large number of bodies of Palestinians were found in the northern Gaza Strip after the Israeli army withdrew from several areas. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that the delayed recovery of the bodies of Palestinians poses a risk of diseases and epidemics in northern Gaza. It said that rescue teams are facing difficulties in extracting bodies from under the rubble due to the absence of the necessary equipment. 'There are large numbers of bodies of Palestinians in areas in the northern Gaza Strip from where the Israeli army withdrew,' it added. Earlier on Friday, witnesses told Anadolu that several bodies of Palestinians were recovered from the streets of the Jabalia camp and the Beit Lahia project area in the northern Gaza Strip after the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The Israeli army completely withdrew from the Jabalia camp area and its surroundings after an offensive that lasted 20 days, according to an Anadolu correspondent. Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire. More than 36,200 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 81,800 others injured, according to local health authorities. Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6. * Writing by Ikram Kouachi. Source: Anadolu Agency