GAZA: Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed at least 29 Palestinians, according to local medical sources, as the military pushes deeper into the densely populated Jabalia region. Thousands of civilians remain trapped there, with international aid agencies warning of severe humanitarian risks.
The Israeli military continues its bombardment of Jabalia, a sprawling refugee camp in northern Gaza. This area, already overcrowded, has been subjected to intense air and ground attacks. Residents report continuous shelling, leaving many without a safe place to escape.
On Friday night, 19 people were killed in the attacks, followed by an additional 10 fatalities on Saturday evening. The strikes targeted homes in Jabalia and Nuseirat, located in central Gaza. Medical professionals have expressed concerns that the death toll could rise, as many of the injured are in critical condition.
Amid these escalating tensions, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for two northern neighborhoods of Gaza City, designating the area as a “dangerous combat zone.” Despite this, Gaza’s Hamas-controlled interior ministry urged civilians to stay put, cautioning that Israeli forces continue to bomb southern regions previously deemed “safe.”
Israel has stated that the ongoing military operation targets Hamas fighters who are allegedly using civilian buildings for cover. The military claimed that evacuation warnings had been clearly communicated, including at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, where a convoy arrived Saturday to evacuate patients and provide much-needed fuel.
In recent days, Israeli forces operating in and around Jabalia have reportedly killed dozens of militants, destroyed weapons caches, and dismantled military infrastructure. On Saturday alone, Israeli military officials reported that more than 20 Hamas fighters were killed in various skirmishes involving tank fire, close-range shooting, and airstrikes.
Israel’s military campaign, launched a year ago with the goal of dismantling Hamas, has resulted in more than 42,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The conflict was ignited following a Hamas-led assault on southern Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Both Palestinian and UN officials are sounding alarms about the lack of safe havens in the enclave. Basic supplies like food, fuel, and medicine are becoming dangerously scarce, and the threat of famine is looming over northern Gaza.
In response to Israel’s continued airstrikes, Hamas accused the Israeli military of carrying out “massacres against civilians” as retribution for residents in Jabalia who have refused to evacuate. Hamas has framed these actions as a sign of Israel’s failure to defeat its forces.
Armed groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for counterattacks on Israeli troops in Jabalia, using anti-tank rockets and mortar fire to target Israeli positions.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has raised concerns that the Israeli offensive and the resulting evacuation orders could disrupt a planned polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza. The second phase of the campaign was set to begin next week following a recent case of poliovirus that left a baby partially paralyzed—the first such case in Gaza in over 25 years.
Despite the conflict, humanitarian organizations are striving to carry out the vaccination campaign, with temporary pauses in fighting expected to allow for the vaccination of hundreds of thousands of children. The campaign will start in central Gaza on Monday and expand to other regions over the coming days.
