Israeli forces have intensified their military campaign in northern Gaza, as they targeted the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp, according to residents and medical sources.
The escalation included the destruction of homes and the siege of schools and shelters, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the area.
Residents reported that Israeli forces rounded up men and ordered women to evacuate the camp.
A nurse from the Indonesian Hospital, who requested anonymity, confirmed the presence of Israeli troops near the facility. “The army is burning the schools next to the hospital, and no one can enter or leave,” the nurse said, describing the dire situation unfolding in the area.
Medics at the Indonesian Hospital reported that Israeli troops stormed a school, detaining the men inside before setting the facility on fire.
The blaze spread to the hospital’s generators, causing a power outage. “We are struggling to keep the hospital running without power,” one medic said.
Despite Israeli orders to evacuate, health officials at three hospitals in northern Gaza have refused to leave, stating that abandoning patients was not an option. Israeli forces have remained outside these hospitals but have not entered, according to the medics.
At Kamal Adwan Hospital, reports of heavy Israeli fire overnight further complicated the already tense situation.
The Israeli military issued a statement confirming that ground operations were continuing across the Gaza Strip.
The statement mentioned that troops had dismantled militant infrastructure, including tunnel shafts, and had killed fighters in the Jabalia area. However, the military did not address the situation concerning hospitals and displaced civilians.
Palestinian health officials said 18 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Jabalia, with an additional eight deaths reported elsewhere in Gaza.
A resident of Jabalia, Raed, lamented the ongoing devastation: “We are facing death by bombs, by thirst, and hunger. Jabalia is being wiped out and there is no witness to the crime. The world is blinding its eyes.”
Israel has stepped up its military campaign in both Gaza and Lebanon following the recent killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, which briefly raised hopes for potential ceasefire talks.
Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas’s infrastructure in Gaza, but the offensive has left much of the territory in ruins. More than 1.9 million people have been displaced as the humanitarian crisis worsens.
The United Nations expressed deep concern over the Israeli military’s actions in northern Gaza.
The UN Human Rights Office released a statement warning that the Israeli offensive, combined with orders leading to forced displacement, might contribute to “the destruction of the Palestinian population in Gaza’s northernmost governate through death and displacement.”
Despite Israel’s assertions that large quantities of humanitarian supplies are entering Gaza, Palestinians claim no aid has reached the northern regions where fighting is most intense.
The UN has called for immediate access to the hospitals in the north to provide critical aid.
Israeli officials defended the evacuation orders, stating that their goal was to separate Hamas fighters from civilians. They denied any systematic plan to clear civilians from Jabalia or other northern areas.
“The evacuation orders are for the protection of civilians,” an Israeli military spokesperson said. Israeli forces have reported killing dozens of Hamas militants and dismantling key infrastructure in the area.
Hamas, meanwhile, has accused Israel of committing “genocide and ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza. The group’s armed wing claimed responsibility for launching counterattacks on Israeli forces using anti-tank rockets, mortars, and explosives targeting troops stationed inside tanks and buildings.
Boluwatife Enome
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