At least 13 killed as Israeli army pounds Jabalia in northern Gaza

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – At least 13 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to medical sources.

A medical source said three people lost their lives and 15 others were injured when Israeli forces bombed Al-Rafie School, where hundreds of displaced civilians have sheltered in Jabalia.

Seven more people were killed in Israeli shelling of the western part of the Jabalia refugee camp, another source said.

Israeli forces also shelled a group of civilians in Al-Fakhoura area in Jabalia, leaving three people dead, the source added.

An Israeli strike targeted a group of civilians near the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital in Jabalia, injuring 18 people, Al-Awda Hospital confirmed in a statement.

The Israeli army launched a new offensive in northern Gaza on Sunday, claiming that the operation aims to prevent Hamas from regaining strength in the area.

As part of the onslaught, the Israeli army ordered Palestinian residents in Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahia to leave their homes and head south.

According to an Anadolu reporter, the Israeli army has slapped a tight siege around northern Gaza from all directions, cutting it off from Gaza City.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,000 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 97,700 others injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala