Israel Bombs Huge Refugee Gaza Camp; Child Casualties Rise: Report

Air strikes by Israeli forces are said to have resulted in the deaths of many in the Jabalia refugee camp situated in northern Gaza. The Gaza health ministry under the control of Hamas has reported 50 fatalities and 150 injuries, while a nearby hospital has stated that it received 400 casualties, including 120 fatalities.

The Israeli military reported that the airstrike resulted in the death of a high-ranking Hamas leader and the destruction of subterranean structures beneath the collapsed buildings.

Furthermore, it stated that a significant number of individuals associated with the Central Jabalia Battalion of Hamas, who were present with the commander during the strike, also lost their lives.

Details Of The Air Strike

As reported by BBC, the airstrike in Jabalia triggered a massive blast, resulting in the devastation of numerous residential buildings in the heart of the refugee camp. Prior to the conflict, this camp housed 116,000 individuals within a confined area of only 1.4 square kilometres.

Video clips and images depicted numerous individuals scouring the debris in the aftermath. According to AFP, their video footage captured the retrieval of a minimum of 47 corpses from the wreckage.

Subsequently, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had executed a "broad-scale operation targeting members of the Central Jabaliya Battalion and their infrastructure" and confirmed the elimination of their leader, Ibrahim Biari.

During a briefing, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari did not directly acknowledge the reported civilian casualties. However, he stated, "Hamas militants persist in using the civilian population as a shield. This tactic is deliberate and extremely inhumane."

Hamas' Statement

Hamas's military faction claimed that their fighters targeted four Israeli military vehicles in the southern Gaza area, engaged with tanks and bulldozers in northwest Gaza, and carried out an ambush on an Israeli unit in the northeast.

Additionally, Hamas and other Palestinian groups continued to launch rockets into Israel, resulting in two attacks in the coastal city of Ashdod that left four people injured.

World's Response

The European Union strongly expressed its condemnation of Israeli forces' actions against Palestinians in the West Bank. EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, emphasized that Israel is obligated to safeguard West Bank civilians from extremist settler violence, ensure accountability for wrongdoers, and guarantee IDF intervention, as it is a legal duty that must be upheld.

Egypt vehemently criticised Israel for its "inhumane targeting of a residential building" and announced its decision to open the Rafah border crossing to admit injured Palestinians for medical care. Notably, this marks the first time Cairo has agreed to open the crossing to civilians since the conflict commenced.

The United Nations declared that the besieged Gaza Strip has become a tragic place for thousands of children. The UN expressed its deepest concerns about the initially reported numbers of child casualties, which escalated from dozens to hundreds and, distressingly, to thousands within two weeks.

Following these attacks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled for another visit to Israel on November 3. According to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, Secretary Blinken will engage in meetings with Israeli government officials and conduct additional visits in the region.

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