Israel has said that it has sent another Army unit to support its forces operating in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps.
Residents in these camps said tanks blew up roads and houses as they thrust further into the territory.
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
They did so after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Dozens Of Houses Destroyed
They added that the Israeli army was destroying dozens of houses on a daily basis.
Sometimes, the Army was placing bombs in buildings and then detonating them remotely.
The Israeli military said its forces, which have been operating in Jabalia for the past two weeks, killed dozens of militants in close-quarters combat on Thursday.
Arerial Strikes
They also carried out aerial strikes and dismantled military infrastructure.
The escalation of Israel’s Jabalia operation came a day after it said it had killed the country’s number one enemy, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s chief.
Israel Said That Sinwar Had Ordered The October 7 Attack
Israel said that Sinwar had ordered the October 7 attack, the deadliest in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli military says its operation in Jabalia is intended to stop Hamas fighters from regrouping for more attacks.
Residents said Israeli forces had effectively isolated the far northern Gazan towns of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahiya from Gaza City, blocking movement except for those families heeding evacuation orders and leaving the three towns.
Appeal For Immediate Hospital Supplies
On Friday, health officials appealed for fuel, medical supplies and food to be sent immediately to three northern Gaza hospitals overwhelmed by the number of patients and injuries.
At the Kamal Adwan Hospital, medics had to replace children in intensive care with more critical cases of adults badly wounded by Israeli air strikes on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Jabalia on Thursday, killing 28 people.
The children were moved to another division inside the facility, where they were being well taken care of, he said.
“All those cases are critical and they need medical intervention,” said Hussam Abu Safiya, Kamal Adwan’s director in a video sent to the media.
UNRWA Has Lost Many Team Members
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said on X that the attack on the school was the third on an UNRWA facility this week.
Lazzarini said the agency has lost a total of 231 team members in the past year of fighting.
Assault By Israel
Northern Gaza was bombed to rubble in the first phase of Israel’s assault on the territory a year ago.
More than half of the 2.3 million of the territory were living in northern Gaza.
When Did Israel Begin Its Military Campaign?
Israel began its military campaign after the October 7 attacks on southern Israel by Hamas-led fighters.
Casualties
These fighters killed 1,200 people and captured 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive so far, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
(With inputs from Reuters)
