Over 800,000 Palestinians still in Gaza City, northern areas despite Israeli ground attacks

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported on Friday that over 800,000 Palestinians remain in the besieged Gaza City and northern areas despite ongoing Israeli destructive ground operations.

The PCBS said in a statement that this figure indicates that "two-thirds of the population of the northern governorates still reside in the northern areas of the Gaza Strip."

It noted that Palestinians decided to stay in the northern parts of the enclave "despite the barbaric brutality of the Israeli occupation bombardment, which led to mass murdering of civilians in their own homes and tremendous destruction of residential buildings, and of all civil facilities, including hospitals, schools, places of worship, bakeries, (and) facilities."

A third of the population or 400,000 Palestinians in the northern parts of Gaza has been displaced to the south of Gaza, the statement said, adding that "The population currently residing in the central and southern governorates of Gaza Strip (including Deir Al-Balah, Khan Younis and Rafah) is 1.43 million people."

Since Oct. 7, the Israeli military intensified its attacks in northern Gaza resulting in the mass destruction of civilian infrastructure, hospitals, mosques, churches, and entire residential areas.

At least 11,500 Palestinians have since been killed, including more than 7,800 women and children, and more than 29,200 injured, according to the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.