At Least 43 Killed in Gaza amid Intensifying Israeli Assault on Jabalia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At least 43 people have been killed across Gaza, with nearly half of the fatalities occurring in the northern Jabalia refugee camp, where Israeli forces have been conducting a ground assault for the fifth consecutive day.
Medical sources confirmed the updated toll to Al Jazeera, and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its medics have received numerous urgent pleas to evacuate casualties. However, they have been unable to respond due to the ongoing Israeli invasion of the area.
"Soldiers are firing at anyone who moves in the Be’er al-Na’ja area, west of Jabalia in northern Gaza," the rescue organization stated on X, alongside a video showing one of its crew members responding to an emergency.
Israeli military operations in northern Gaza have left dozens dead and wounded, with an airstrike early Wednesday killing at least nine people, including two women and two children in Jabalia. The situation also threatens the functionality of three hospitals in the region.
Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza has largely been evacuated as Israeli forces intensify their presence in western Jabalia, where they have been reportedly shooting at anyone attempting to move. Hospitals in northern Gaza have been ordered by the Israeli military to cease operations and evacuate, as military operations in Jabalia continues to expand.
Medical teams have been forced to leave hospitals, with only a limited number of staff remaining with patients. According to reports, no international rescue efforts have been able to assist in the evacuation. Fuel and medical supplies are running critically low at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which has not received any convoys due to the military blockade.
The Israeli army has issued evacuation orders for residents in Jabalia, Beit Hanoon, and Beit Lahiya, the three main towns in northern Gaza. Despite the orders, approximately 400,000 people remain trapped in Jabalia, unable to flee as the roads remain blocked. Families have refrained from heading south, fearing bombing in those areas as well.
The Jabalia camp remains surrounded by Israeli forces, and bodies have reportedly been left in the narrow streets. Those attempting to flee have been shot by snipers, according to witnesses.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) confirmed that at least 400,000 people are stuck in northern Gaza, following yet another round of evacuation orders. "Israeli authorities are forcing people to flee again and again, especially from Jabalia camp," said UNRWA chief Filippo Lazzarini. "Many are refusing because they know too well that no place anywhere in Gaza is safe."
UNRWA shelters and services are being forced to shut down for the first time since the conflict began, according to Lazzarini.
Since the start of the Israeli genocidal war in October last year, Israeli military campaign have claimed the lives of 42,010 people and wounded 97,720, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. In the last 24 hours alone, 45 Palestinians were killed, and 130 were wounded in the ongoing attacks.