Israeli airstrikes have destroyed apartment blocks and killed dozens of people at a refugee camp in northern Gaza on the 25th day of a conflict that the United Nations said has become a “graveyard” for children.
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| Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, October 31, 2023. Photo: anas al-shareef/Reuters via nbcnews.com |
At least six airstrikes hit residential areas in the Jabalia refugee camp on Gaza City’s outskirts on Tuesday, killing more than 50 people and injuring about 150 people, Hamas officials said.
Video footage showed at least 47 bodies pulled out of the rubble and rescue teams searching for survivors amid twisted metal and two huge craters. The Hamas-run health ministry called the attack a “heinous” massacre.
The Israeli military said it had targeted the camp to kill Ibrahim Biari – a key Hamas commander linked to the group’s 7 October attack on Israel who, it said, had taken over civilian buildings in Gaza City with his fighters.
Interviewed on CNN and asked if the Israeli military had known there were civilians in Jabalia, a spokesperson, Lt Col Richard Hecht, said Israel had attempted to minimise civilian casualties in a complex operation: “This is the tragedy of war […] We’ve been saying for days: ‘Move south, civilians that are not involved with Hamas, please move south.’” theguardian.com
