Israeli forces intensified their operations around Jabalia, 40 Palestinians killed

Israeli military operations resulted in the deaths of at least 40 Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip as Israeli forces intensified their operations around Jabalia in the northern region on Tuesday, engaging in intense confrontations with Hamas fighters.

According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli fire claimed the lives of at least 11 individuals near Al-Falouja in Jabalia, which is the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps. Additionally, 10 people were killed in Bani Suhaila, located in eastern Khan Younis, when an Israeli missile struck a residential building.

Earlier that day, an Israeli airstrike leveled three homes in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, with local civil emergency services reporting the recovery of two bodies from the debris. Efforts were ongoing to locate 12 other individuals believed to have been inside the homes during the attack. Furthermore, five additional casualties were reported when a house was hit in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

Jabalia has been the target of an Israeli offensive for over 10 days, with military forces returning to areas in the north that had previously experienced significant bombardment during the ongoing year-long conflict.

Concerns have been raised among Palestinians and U.N. agencies regarding Israel’s intentions to evacuate residents from the northern part of the densely populated enclave, a claim that Israel has refuted. The United Nations human rights office reported on Tuesday that the Israeli military seems to be “completely isolating North Gaza from the remainder of the Gaza Strip.”

“During this period of intense conflict and evacuation orders in northern Gaza, families are enduring unimaginable fear, loss of loved ones, confusion, and exhaustion. It is essential that individuals are able to escape safely, without encountering additional threats,” stated Adrian Zimmerman, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Gaza.

“Many individuals, including the sick and disabled, are unable to evacuate and are entitled to protection under international humanitarian law. All necessary measures must be taken to ensure their safety. Every displaced person has the right to return home securely,” he emphasized.

The Israeli military has now surrounded the Jabalia camp and deployed tanks in the adjacent towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, with the stated objective of eliminating Hamas fighters who are attempting to regroup in those areas.

The Israeli military has instructed residents to evacuate their homes and seek safety in southern Gaza. However, Palestinian and U.N. officials have stated that there are no safe areas within Gaza. Israeli authorities clarified that the evacuation orders were intended to distinguish between Hamas fighters and civilians, denying any systematic effort to remove civilians from Jabalia or other northern regions.

The armed wing of Hamas reported that its fighters were engaged in intense confrontations with Israeli forces in and around Jabalia. Zimmerman emphasized the need to protect health facilities in the northern region, noting that hospitals are struggling to deliver medical care.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, the military has ordered the evacuation of the three operational hospitals, but medical personnel have expressed their commitment to continue providing services despite being overwhelmed by the increasing number of casualties.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed strong condemnation regarding the high number of civilian casualties in northern Gaza. This region is inhabited by more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, and many have been compelled to evacuate their homes due to intense bombardment during the initial phase of Israel’s military operation.

Current estimates from the United Nations indicate that approximately 400,000 individuals remain in the area. The offensive was initiated by Israel in response to a Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 individuals to Gaza, according to Israeli reports. As per health authorities in Gaza, over 42,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the ongoing military campaign.