A reported 30 Palestinians, inclusive of children and women, were left dead and over 50 injured following an Israeli assault on the Jabalia camp situated in northern Gaza. This news was shared early on Saturday according to the official news outlet of the Palestinian Authority, WAFA.
In support of the operations in Jabalia, an additional army unit was dispatched by the Israeli military on Friday. Jabalia, recognised as the biggest amongst the eight historic refugee camps of Gaza, reportedly experienced damaged roads and buildings due to the progression of tanks throughout the region.
Locals from the northern Gaza region of Jabalia reported the infiltration of Israeli tanks into the core of the camp, utilising severe air and ground fire, after advancing through suburbs and domestic districts. The general view was that the Israeli army was guilty of the daily destruction of numerous homes, either via air and ground attacks or through the remote detonation of implanted explosives in the buildings.
The Israeli army claimed that during their two-week-long operation in Jabalia, numerous militants were assassinated in direct combat last Thursday. The forces further conducted aerial strikes and dismantled military infrastructure.
In response to the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who the Israeli authorities held accountable for the lethal October 7th assault on Israel, Israel intensified its Jabalia operation. This operation was the most fatal in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
Aimed at preventing further onslaughts by deterring the regrouping of Hamas fighters, the Israeli army’s operation left the northern Gazan towns of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahiya completely cut off from Gaza City. Only families following evacuation orders were allowed to move past the blockade.
Lastly, on Friday, healthcare professionals pleaded for immediate support in the form of fuel, medical necessities, and food to be sent to three north Gaza hospitals, which are currently overwhelmed due to the influx of patients and injuries.
The Kamal Adwan Hospital experienced heavy casualties after Israeli airstrikes targeted a school accommodating displaced Palestinians in Jabalia, claiming 28 lives this Thursday. The hospital faced a challenging situation as they were obliged to relocate children in critical condition to make room for severely injured adults. Despite the circumstances, the relocated children were offered proper care in a separate section of the hospital, says the hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya, and went on to explain that these dire situations required immediate medical attention.
In a statement by Philippe Lazzarini, the leader of UN’s Palestinian refugee agency Unrwa, the alarming news was revealed that this week alone, three attacks on Unrwa facilities have been counted, and since the commencement of the conflict, around 231 team members have lost their lives. The hospital is grappling with staff exhaustion and resource scarcity, says Abu Safiya. After serving an arduous two-week stretch, the 300 members of the medical staff are fatigued, their situation exacerbated by the hospital’s dwindling food supplies.
Despite the Israel military’s evacuation orders in Jabalia, doctors at Kamal Adwan, Al-Awda and Indonesian hospitals have chosen to remain and serve their patients. Northern Gaza, once home to over half of the total 2.3 million population, has borne the brunt of Israel’s assault, which commenced after the Oct. 7 attacks on Southern Israel by Hamas-led fighters. Israeli sources state that these attacks claimed around 1,200 lives and held 250 individuals hostage.
According to health authorities in Gaza, Israeli offensives have resulted in the death of over 42,000 Palestinians thus far. (Source: Reuters 2024)