By Hosni Nedim
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – At least two Palestinians were killed on Monday as Israel intensified its deadly offensive in the northern Gaza Strip, a medical source said.
The fatalities occurred when Israeli forces shelled a group of civilians in Jabalia Nazla in northern Gaza, the source added.
Three children were also injured in artillery shelling targeting a school in the Jabalia refugee camp and were rushed to hospital for medical attention, the source said.
Casualties were also reported in a drone strike near Birkat Abu Rashid in Jabalia, according to witnesses.
Residents reported the blowing up of dozens of homes by Israeli forces in Jabalia and Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
The Israeli army claims that its offensive in northern Gaza aims to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping in the area.
Ten days into the onslaught, more than 300 people have been killed amid a tight siege imposed by the Israeli army on the area, according to Palestinian authorities.
The Israeli army has erected barricades to prevent Palestinians from reaching Gaza City and force them to flee south via Salah al-Din Road, the route Israel designated for safe passage from northern Gaza, witnesses said.
Dead bodies littered the ground and under the rubble in many areas in northern Gaza, as ambulances and civil defense teams were unable to reach the area, they added.
Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
More than 42,200 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 98,400 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 Mohammad Sio