Israel's military spokesman has announced that Israeli troops, with support from the air and sea, have successfully broken through Hamas's front lines of defense in northern Gaza.
An Israeli commander further claimed that Israeli forces were now at "the gates of Gaza City." These developments come after loud explosions and shelling were heard overnight in the city, as per BBC.
Gaza Conflicts Affect Thousands of Innocent Children
Reports from the Palestinian Red Crescent reveal that these attacks were concentrated in areas close to al-Quds Hospital, which Israeli authorities had earlier warned to evacuate immediately. However, UN officials have deemed such an evacuation impossible without endangering patients' lives.
Witnesses and medics in the densely populated Jabalya refugee camp have reported catastrophic damage and a significant loss of life due to Israeli strikes that targeted Hamas commanders and the militant group's infrastructure.
As survivors and eyewitnesses describe scenes of devastation, another communications blackout has left Gazans without means of communication with the outside world. Eyewitness accounts tell a harrowing tale of how innocent civilians were caught in the crossfire.
Mohammad Ibrahim, one such eyewitness, recounted waiting in line to buy bread when missiles suddenly rained down. The aftermath was described as apocalyptic, with huge craters filled with killed people and body parts strewn about.
The incident left survivors feeling as if it was the end of the world. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the initial airstrike killed several Hamas members, including Ibrahim Biari, who was identified as one of the commanders responsible for a previous attack on Israel.
The IDF explained that collapsed tunnels and the occupation of civilian buildings by the Central Jabalya Battalion exacerbated the destruction caused by the strike. Hamas, however, vehemently denied the presence of any of its leaders in the refugee camp.
The group accused Israel of attempting to justify a "heinous crime against safe civilians, children, and women" in the Jabalya camp. Tragically, a second IDF strike hit the Falluja neighborhood of the same refugee camp, resulting in the destruction of several buildings and a significant loss of life.
The majority of casualties were reported to be women and children. The United Nations Human Rights Office has stated that the attacks on Jabalya could potentially be classified as war crimes due to the high number of civilian casualties and extensive destruction.
Aid organizations and the UN have urgently called for a ceasefire, but the strikes persist, resulting in an alarmingly high death toll, according to Business Insider.
Israel-Palestine War Victims
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 8,700 people have been killed, with women, children, and the elderly making up more than 70% of the victims. Regrettably, over 70 UN aid workers have also lost their lives in the conflict.
In light of these developments, a United Nations human rights official has decided to leave his post, stating that the situation in Gaza constitutes a textbook case of genocide.
The official accused the US, UK, and much of Europe of complicity in the bloodshed and criticized the UN for repeatedly failing to prevent genocide in previous instances. Eyewitness accounts paint a horrific picture of the aftermath of the strikes. Grey dust filled the air as children carried injured children through the chaos.
Bodies were left hanging on the rubble, unrecognizable, and some were bleeding or burnt. The scene left women screaming and confused, unsure whether to mourn the loss of their children or desperately search for them.
Images from the devastated refugee camp show a massive crater surrounded by ruins and damaged buildings. Palestinians and rescue workers are digging through the rubble, searching for victims.
The full extent of the casualties remains unclear due to the ongoing communications blackout. Jabalya refugee camp, home to many Palestinians displaced during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, is a densely populated area with houses, shops, and apartment buildings crammed together, resulting in narrow roads that barely allow for vehicular passage.
Israel's spokesperson, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, accused Hamas of hiding behind civilians, even though innocent civilians are also present in the camp. When reminded of this fact, Hecht responded, "This is the tragedy of war," and called on civilians to move south.
However, aid organizations have repeatedly warned that there is no safe place for civilians in the isolated enclave of Gaza. During the conflict, telecommunication services in Gaza have also been disrupted, exacerbating the already dire situation for residents, Yahoo News reported.
Related Article : Israel Hits Jabalia Refugee Camp, Kills Dozens; IDF Defends Airstrike
