At least 33 people lost their lives, and 85 others were injured after Israeli airstrikes hit residential buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza on Friday, according to medical sources.
Jabalia, one of Gaza’s largest and most densely populated refugee camps, was struck as Israeli tanks reportedly advanced into the area, damaging roads and homes, according to residents.
The media office of Gaza’s Hamas-controlled government warned that the death toll could rise as more people are believed to be trapped under the rubble. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA confirmed that children were among the victims.
Gaza’s health ministry reported additional Israeli strikes across the territory, killing at least 39 Palestinians, with 20 of the deaths occurring in Jabalia alone. However, Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
According to Reuters, Jabalia residents claim that Israeli tanks moved into the camp after advancing through nearby suburbs and residential areas. They allege that Israeli forces are demolishing homes daily using both airstrikes and ground operations, including the remote detonation of explosives planted in buildings.
The Israeli military, which has been active in Jabalia for two weeks, stated on Thursday that its forces killed numerous militants during close-quarters fighting, conducted aerial strikes, and dismantled military infrastructure. On the same day, Israel announced it had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, accusing him of planning the deadly October 7 attack, which is considered the deadliest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel’s military campaign in Jabalia aims to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping to launch further attacks, according to the Israeli military. Residents also reported that Israeli forces had cut off northern Gaza towns like Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahiya from Gaza City, restricting movement for families following evacuation orders.
Communication and internet services in northern Gaza have also been disrupted, making rescue operations difficult. Health officials urgently called for fuel, medical supplies, and food for three overwhelmed hospitals in the region.
At Kamal Adwan Hospital, medical personnel were forced to prioritize critically injured adults over children due to the high number of casualties from the strikes, which included a school sheltering displaced families in Jabalia. Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, mentioned in a video shared with the media that they had moved the children to another part of the hospital for ongoing care, but staff were struggling with shortages of essential supplies and food.
Israel stated that it sent about 30 truckloads of aid, including food, water, medical supplies, and shelter materials, into northern Gaza on Friday. “We are fighting Hamas, not the people of Gaza,” said military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani in an online briefing with journalists. However, both Hamas and local health officials claimed that the aid had not reached the most affected areas, including the isolated towns.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, said on X (formerly Twitter) that the recent strike on a school marked the third attack on a UNRWA facility this week. He also revealed that the agency had lost 231 staff members in the ongoing conflict.
Northern Gaza, once home to over half of the region’s 2.3 million residents, has been heavily bombed since Israel began its military operations last year, following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
Gaza health officials report that more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive.
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