An Israeli air strike on homes in the Jabalia refugee camp killed at least 33 people, including 21 women, according to authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. More than 85 others were reported injured, some seriously, after buildings belonging to three families were hit in the densely populated northern part of the territory.
The casualty figures came from local authorities and could not be independently verified in the supplied reporting. Video shared online appeared to show bodies in white shrouds in the courtyard of al-Awda Hospital, but the footage had not been verified by the BBC. The hospital’s director said the influx of casualties had filled wards, leaving many injured people receiving treatment on the floor.
Medical services elsewhere in northern Gaza were also under pressure. The Hamas-run health ministry said the Indonesian Hospital in nearby Beit Lahia came under heavy gunfire while more than 40 patients and medical workers were inside. It later said two patients died following an electricity outage and shortages of medical supplies. The Israel Defense Forces said troops were operating nearby but denied intentionally firing at the hospital.
The strike took place during a weeks-long Israeli operation around Jabalia. Telecommunications and internet access had been severed across much of northern Gaza, according to local sources. About 400,000 people were described as trapped in the camp area with scarce food and water for more than two weeks. Georgios Petropoulos of the United Nations humanitarian office said civilians there faced extremely dangerous conditions.
Access to relief was disputed. Israel said it had sent about 30 trucks carrying food, water, medicine and shelter supplies into northern Gaza on Friday. Local health officials told Reuters that aid was not reaching the worst-affected areas, including Jabalia. Israeli minister Amichai Chikli said Israel had blockaded parts of northern Gaza after allowing civilians to move toward a designated safe zone, and argued that the action complied with international law. Israel has repeatedly denied preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
The attack came two days after the Israeli military confirmed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had been killed in Rafah. His death prompted renewed discussion of a possible ceasefire, but Hamas deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya said Israeli hostages would not be released until Israel ended the war and withdrew from Gaza.
The war began after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken into Gaza. By October 2024, Gaza authorities said Israeli military operations had killed at least 42,500 people and injured tens of thousands. The Jabalia casualties added to that toll as hospitals and aid networks in the north faced severe constraints.
