At least 10 people were killed and 40 wounded when Israeli tank shells hit people queuing for food in northern Gaza on Monday, Palestinian doctors said, as fears grew in the enclave that Israel would expel all residents from the north. Is planning to displace.
Medics said an Israeli drone also fired on dozens of residents gathered to receive food in Jabaliya, one of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps. He said that women and children were also among the victims.
The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident.
Jabaliya has been the focus of Israeli attacks for about 10 days and the army has now surrounded the camp and sent tanks into the nearby towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, with the stated aim of eliminating the Hamas fighters who have reestablished themselves there. Trying to gather.
With the Israeli military increasing pressure on Hamas, calling on Palestinians to evacuate the south – and Hamas telling them not to leave because it is too risky – the past few days have resembled the early stages of the war.
The northern part of Gaza, where more than half the territory’s population of 2.3 million lives, was heavily bombed in the first phase of Israel’s offensive on the territory that began a year ago.
According to UN estimates, thousands of residents of northern Gaza fled their homes in the early months of the war due to Israeli evacuation orders and military offensives into their areas, while about 400,000 remained.
But after months of fierce ground fighting there, Israel sent its forces back into Jabaliya to root out Hamas fighters, saying they were regrouping for more attacks.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said their fighters were launching attacks against Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs.
For residents, there has been no relief.
“We have been attacked continuously from the air and the ground for a week, they want us to leave, they want to punish us for refusing to leave our homes,” said Marwa, 26. School in Gaza City.
People feared that if they went south they would never be able to return, he said.
Later on Monday, Hamas said Israel aimed to forcefully displace the people of northern Gaza through continued bombardment and blocking aid, food and fuel.
“The international community must take action against this war crime as the occupation continues to seal off the area and prevent the entry of relief supplies and medicines,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
“By doing this it causes a slow death, in addition to the daily direct killings,” Abu Zuhri said.
Concerned Israel plans to evacuate Jabaliya
Some residents also fear that Israel plans to evacuate Jabaliya and possibly the entire northern area under a proposal put forward by former Israeli generals that would involve clearing northern Gaza of civilians and keeping the remaining militants under siege until A call has been made to hold them until they surrender.
Israel clearly denies such plans.
“We have not received any such plan,” military spokesman Nadav Shoshani told reporters. “We are ensuring that we are protecting civilians from harm while taking action against those terrorist cells in Jabaliya,” he said.
Giora Eiland, the lead author of the proposal, said his plan aimed to pressure Hamas to release the hostages by ending its control over territory and aid, rather than sending Israeli forces to fight its fighters.
“It’s almost the same as what they’re doing now in Jabaliya,” Eland told Army Radio on Sunday. “My plan isn’t working out.”
Israel’s plans for Gaza’s future remain unclear, beyond its stated goal of eliminating Hamas as a military and governing force.
The United Nations has described serious conditions affecting the remaining civilian population in Jabaliya.
“More than 50,000 people have been displaced from the Jabaliya region, which has been cut off from contact, while others remain trapped in their homes due to increased bombardment and fighting,” UN humanitarian coordinator Muhannad Hadi said on Sunday.
“The latest military operations in northern Gaza have led to the closure of water wells, bakeries, medical points and shelters, as well as the suspension of security services, malnutrition treatment and temporary teaching spaces. At the same time, overcrowding has been observed in hospitals for trauma. Regarding the injuries.”
The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Israel launched an offensive against Hamas following the attack on Israel on 7 October, which left 1,200 dead and about 250 taken hostage by Israeli soldiers in Gaza. More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the attack so far, according to Gaza health officials.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
