Israeli units have broadened their operation into Northern Gaza, with tanks venturing as far as the northern fringe of Gaza City, residents of Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood attest, instigating an exodus of numerous households. It seems, according to the locals, that Israeli forces have effectively severed Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahiya, situated in the extreme north of the enclave, from Gaza City, controlling movement between the two regions and only permitting families eager to comply with the evacuation notice to depart from those three towns.
Late Saturday evening, an Israeli assault on central Gaza claimed the lives of a family of eight, as informed by Palestinian health authorities. The strike targeted a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, resulting in the deaths of two parents and their six offspring, whose ages varied from eight to 23, stated the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby Deir al-Balah, which received the bodies. It has been reported by the health ministry in Gaza that the eight-day Israeli invasions in the northern portion have, up until now, led to several Palestinian victims, with additional dozens feared deceased on the roads and under the debris of their residences, out of the reach of medical assistance.
Numerous dwellers of Jabalia have aired on various digital platforms: “We don’t leave, we would rather perish than leave.” The northern region of Gaza, accommodating well over half of its 2.3 million population, was shelled into fragments in the initial bout of Israel’s assault on this area a year ago, following the militant attacks on Israeli locations on October 7th which caused around 1,200 casualties.
In the aftermath of a year filled with Israeli-offensive causing more than 42,000 Palestinian deaths, hundreds of thousands have returned to their decimated homes in the north. Recently, Israel deployed its troops once again to eradicate fighters it asserts are preparing for further attacks. However, this claim is contested by Hamas, maintaining no fighters are based amidst civilians.
The upsurge in conflict in the northern side of Gaza is being witnessed in conjunction with the significant Israeli aerial onslaught and land campaign within southern Lebanon targeted at Hizbullah, an ally of Hamas and Iran. “While the world’s attention is diverted to Lebanon and the potential Israeli strike on Iran, Israel is obliterating Jabalia,” reported Nasser, a resident from Beit Lahiya in Northern Gaza.
The destruction of roads and residential areas caused by the ongoing military conflict has left inhabitants terrified and stranded within their homes, with a shortage of food availability posing a significant issue, according to a local reported via a messaging platform.
Over the course of the past day, the Israeli defense forces have announced their engagement on around 40 occasions, resulting in the deaths of a significant number of militants across the Gaza Strip, a statement released on Sunday confirmed.
Division 162 forces are persistently engaged in activities within the Jabalia region, having been accounted for the fatalities of numerous terrorists and the discovery of weapons, explosives and other warfare equipment within the area, a report detailed.
The militant factions of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other smaller entities assert their troops attacked Israeli forces stationed around Jabalia and nearby areas using anti-tank ammunition and mortar fire.
Officials from both Palestine and the United Nations express their concerns over the severe lack of essential resources, including medical supplies, fuel, and food, particularly in the northern parts of Gaza, raising fears over the possibility of a famine within the region.
In a distressing turn of events, the local populace of Sheikh Radwan, a suburb of Gaza City, experienced further fear as tank shells landed onto streets of the suburb in conjunction with the arrival of tanks at the vicinity’s boundaries, accelerating panics within the southern population. This report includes additional information provided by the Associated Press.