Israel has officially acknowledged its responsibility for conducting an airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
The Hamas-run health authority has reported that over 50 individuals have lost their lives and 150 others have been injured as a result of this incident, as per New York Times.
Israeli Airstrike Kills Senior Hamas Commander, Increases Gaza Death Toll
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that it killed Ibrahim Biari, the commander of Hamas's Central Jabaliya Battalion, in an attack carried out by Israeli fighter jets. The IDF said that Biari was responsible for sending terrorists to carry out the murder of 13 Israelis in Ashdod Port in 2004.
He was also allegedly behind the October 7 massacre in Israel, which claimed the lives of many innocent civilians. The IDF stated that the strike damaged Hamas' command and control in the area, as well as its ability to direct military activity against IDF soldiers operating throughout the Gaza Strip.
The death toll in Gaza has been mounting, with Hamas declaring that it has topped 8,525. The majority of those killed are believed to be civilians. Jabalia, the largest of the eight refugee camps in the enclave, has a population of around 116,000 refugees who live in substandard conditions, according to the UN.
They are forced to live in cramped conditions with a general lack of recreational and social space. The IDF has reiterated its call to the residents of the area to move south for their safety, as Hamas continues to use the civilian population as human shields.
Pictures from Jabalia depict apocalyptic scenes, with buildings leveled, opening up giant sinkholes. Residents likened it to an earthquake, saying that the ground began to collapse around them. Dozens of white body bags filled up the nearby streets, awaiting burial at a hospital near the encampment.
Meanwhile, aerial photographs show scenes of utter devastation, with high-rise buildings ripped apart and flattened, with only charred debris remaining. Families and volunteers clawed through the concrete blocks and twisted metal in a desperate search for survivors and bodies, according to CNN.
Israeli Forces Escalate Gaza Ground Ops in Ongoing Hamas Conflict
Israel is expanding ground operations inside Gaza aimed at wiping out Hamas following its gun rampage three weeks ago that killed over 1,400 people.
On the fifth day of significant ground operations inside northern Gaza, the army said it had engaged in "fierce battles" with Hamas terrorists, with footage showing columns of tanks and soldiers advancing further into the besieged enclave. Israel also said that its forces had fought Hamas gunmen inside their vast tunnel network, attacking Hamas positions in a bid to free hostages trapped there.
Some of the 240 hostages that Israel says were seized by Hamas are believed to be held in the tunnel complex, adding a further complication for the Israelis on top of the difficulties of fighting in an urban setting. The IDF has claimed that Hamas terrorists continued to use the civilian population as human shields intentionally, ruthlessly, and brutally.
Palestinian media reports indicate that Israeli strikes had decimated buildings in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The fighting came after authorities in the Gaza Strip declared that the death toll had risen to 8,525 since the Israeli bombing campaign began on October 7.
Figures released by Hamas on the extent of casualties cannot be independently verified. Still, journalists on the ground in Jabalia have reported seeing dozens of dead bodies, with more expected to be trapped under the rubble.
The toll of Israel's war in Gaza has sparked a global backlash. Some 800,000 people have heeded the IDF's orders to flee from the northern part of the strip to the south, but tens of thousands of people remain in and around Gaza City.
Casualties are expected to mount on both sides as the battle moves into dense, residential neighborhoods. Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that Israel's relentless bombing campaign has killed over 8,300 people since October 7, including 3,457 children.
In response to growing international concerns, Israel rejected a call from 120 countries for a sustained humanitarian truce, saying that such a ceasefire would be 'surrendering' to Hamas. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed to fight until "this battle is won."
Israel launched the war on October 7 in retaliation for Hamas-led raids on Israeli homes, farms, and villages that resulted in the deaths of around 1,400 people, according to Israeli officials-a large-scale ground offensive inside Gaza had followed more than three weeks of massive and sustained Israeli aerial bombardments.
Israel will continue to operate with 'full force' in Gaza City as it fights to eradicate Hamas. The underground tunnels used by terrorists will continue to be a primary target for the IDF, and they have urged residents in the area to move south to protect themselves from further harm.
As the death toll continues to mount and more buildings are destroyed, both sides seem to be locked into an endless cycle of violence and retaliation, with little chance of resolution anytime soon, Mail Online reported.
