19-11-2023 (GAZA) Israeli forces carried out another attack on the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday (Nov 18), resulting in the death of at least 100 people, according to sources informed by Xinhua News Agency.
A health ministry official in Hamas-controlled Gaza reported to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia had claimed the lives of over 80 people. The official stated that the attack targeted the Al-Fakhura school, operated by the United Nations within the refugee camp, resulting in “at least 50” casualties. The school had been converted into a shelter for displaced Palestinians. Eyewitnesses reported that hundreds of homeless individuals sought refuge in the school when the Israeli military launched the attack.
The official further added that another strike by the Israeli military on a separate building led to the deaths of 32 members of the same family, including 19 children.
Sources from the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza stated that the number of fatalities from the attack is likely to rise, as many injured individuals are in critical condition, and several people remain buried under the rubble.
Reuters cited Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), who received “horrific” photos and videos showing an attack on an UNRWA school in northern Gaza, resulting in dozens of casualties. Lazzarini emphasized the urgent need for the attacks to cease, stating, “The humanitarian ceasefire cannot wait any longer.” Earlier, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, an airstrike on a residential building claimed the lives of at least 26 people.
Jabalia refugee camp is the largest among the eight refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. Since the outbreak of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict on October 7, Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted the camp, resulting in hundreds of casualties.