Thousands of civilians in Gaza’s largest refugee camp, Jabalia, are trapped as Israel continues its relentless attacks on the northern Gaza Strip, Reuters reported on Sunday.
The humanitarian situation is worsening, with residents unable to leave the area as fighting intensifies, Reuters cited Doctors without Borders (MSF) as saying.
At least 20 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded late Friday after Israeli airstrikes hit Jabalia, destroying homes in the densely populated camp.
The total death toll across Gaza on Friday reached at least 61, medical sources told Reuters, with nearly half of those fatalities occurring in Jabalia alone. As Israeli airstrikes continued to pound the area, the number of casualties is expected to rise.
The Israeli military claims it has targeted dozens of Hamas militants in the camp. “Nobody is allowed to get in or out; anyone who tries is getting shot,” said MSF project coordinator Sarah Vuylsteke in a post on social media platform X.
UPDATE from northern Gaza: Thousands of people are trapped in Jabalia camp, as Israeli forces attack the area.
“Nobody is allowed to get in or out, anyone who tries is getting shot,” says Sarah Vuylsteke, MSF project coordinator. Five MSF staff are trapped in the camp, fearing… pic.twitter.com/1K1yd4tCp8
— Doctors w/o Borders (@MSF_USA) October 11, 2024
Among those trapped in the camp are five MSF staff members, according to Vuylsteke. “People are starving. I am afraid to stay, and I am also afraid to leave,” an MSF driver said. The humanitarian crisis in Jabalia is compounded by shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
Earlier in the week, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for civilians in northern Gaza. However, UN officials warned that as many as 400,000 people remain trapped in the area, unable to safely evacuate.
Reports from Gaza indicate that some of the casualties in Jabalia were from Israeli strikes on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians. Gaza’s Civil Defense also reported that Israeli drones fired on the school, injuring dozens.
The Israeli military has previously claimed – without providing any evidence – that Hamas operatives use civilian shelters for cover, a claim Hamas denies.
In addition to Jabalia, Israeli forces have entered the nearby towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya as part of their ground invasion. Meanwhile, Hamas has vowed to continue resisting Israel’s assaults.