Palestinians survey the destruction following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the vicinity of Kamal Adwan hospital, amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, in Jabalia, located in the northern Gaza Strip on October 26, 2024. — Reuters
An Israeli airstrike on a residence in Jabalia resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries on Sunday morning, according to Palestinian medics, as Israeli forces intensified their operations in northern Gaza. Medics reported that the latest strike caused significant damage to several homes in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza Strip's eight historic refugee camps, which has been under Israeli military assault for over three weeks.
Israel asserts that its forces have re-entered northern Gaza more than a year into the conflict with Hamas to eliminate the militant group's fighters who had regrouped there. On Friday, Israel announced the deaths of three of its soldiers in combat within the enclave. The Israeli military claimed in a statement that it had 'neutralized over 40 terrorists' in the Jabalia area over the past 24 hours, alongside dismantling infrastructure and locating 'large quantities of military equipment'.
Furthermore, Israel reported the elimination of a 'terrorist cell' during a close-quarters engagement in central Gaza. Meanwhile, the death toll from an Israeli airstrike on a residential area in the nearby town of Beit Lahiya on Saturday night rose to 40 by Sunday morning, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
The Israeli military stated that it had conducted 'a precise strike using precise munitions on Hamas terrorists within a structure in the area of Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip. A number of terrorists have been hit in the strike.' It also noted that the high number of casualties reported by the media did not correspond with the type of munitions used in the precision attack.
Israeli military strikes on the towns of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza have reportedly resulted in approximately 800 deaths during the three-week offensive, according to the Gaza health ministry. Palestinian health officials have highlighted that the continuous Israeli aerial and ground offensive has severely compromised the healthcare system in northern Gaza, obstructing medical teams from accessing bombed sites.
The Civil Emergency Service recently announced the suspension of their operations after Israel detained and injured several of their personnel and destroyed their only fire truck. Hamas-led fighters launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of about 250 hostages taken to Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
The death toll from Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza is nearing 43,000, with the densely populated enclave left in ruins.
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