GAZA CITY: Over 400,000 Palestinians remain trapped in northern Gaza as Israel launched heavy shelling in the region, further complicating efforts to deliver aid, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Wednesday.
The Israeli army has continued to bombard northern Gaza, particularly targeting Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanun. Israeli forces have also blocked access routes, preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the Palestinian population, Gaza’s civil defence agency said.
“Israeli authorities are forcing people to flee repeatedly, especially from Jabalia camp. However, many are refusing to leave as they are aware that nowhere in Gaza is safe,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of UNRWA.
Lazzarini added that the intense Israeli shelling has forced the closure of several UN shelters and services, many for the first time since the conflict erupted. He warned that the dire situation is worsening as Gaza’s civilian population faces further displacement under relentless attacks.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army announced that it had surrounded the Jabalia area and ordered residents to immediately evacuate the area.
Ahmad al-Kahlut, UNRWA’s director for northern Gaza, expressed alarm over the escalating Israeli violence, stating that Palestinian civilians and their homes were being targeted, resulting in widespread fear. He noted that the ongoing Israeli shelling and siege had cut off all supplies to northern Gaza for four consecutive days.
“Roads are closed, and the situation is dire. A significant number of people have died, but we cannot accurately count the casualties due to the difficulty in accessing areas under heavy fire,” Kahlut said.
Northern Gaza has been hit hard, with Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia being one of the few medical facilities still operational. However, it is struggling to cope with the influx of injured civilians.
Gaza’s health ministry has appealed to the international community for urgent fuel supplies to keep hospitals running. The ministry warned that without immediate assistance, hospitals would be forced to cease operations.
Israel’s military confirmed ongoing operations “throughout Gaza,” stating that 20 Palestinians were killed in Jabalia.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 42,010 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the United Nations has described as reliable.
On Tuesday, Gaza’s civil defence agency said that an Israeli strike killed at least 17 Palestinians, including children, at a refugee camp in the centre of the besieged territory.
According to the civil defence agency, a missile fired from an Israeli warplane targeted a three-story home in the Al-Bureij refugee camp. The house belonged to the Abdul Hadi family, whose members were among those killed.
Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed that the bodies of those killed and the wounded were transported to Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat camp and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah.
Medical staff at Al-Awda Hospital confirmed the casualty count, and Bassal added that several airstrikes had hit central and northern Gaza earlier in the day.
Witnesses and rescue workers reported that Israeli military operations continued in Jabaliya, where Israeli troops have been engaged in a ground assault in recent days.
Jabaliya, which has been under sustained Israeli bombardment, has seen many of its residents flee as fighting intensifies. Iman Abu Najm, a 33-year-old resident of Jabaliya, described the scene as chaotic, with relentless shelling and people panicking in the streets as gunfire targeted homes.
