By Anadolu staff
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Seven UN-run schools sheltering displaced civilians have been evacuated in the northern Gaza Strip amid an Israeli offensive in the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Wednesday.
“Intensified military operations in the north are forcing us to shut down lifesaving services,” UNRWA said in a statement on X.
It added that only two out of eight water wells in the Jabalia refugee camp are operational.
The Israeli army launched a new onslaught in northern Gaza on Sunday, claiming that the military operation aims to prevent Hamas from regaining strength in the area.
As part of the offensive, 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