Thousands of people trapped in northern Gaza amid Israeli offensive: Doctors Without Borders

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - Thousands of Palestinians are trapped in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, where the Israeli offensive has continued for the past six days, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Friday.

In a statement on X, MSF said while the Israeli army is demanding Palestinians to leave their areas in Jabalia, it is "carrying out attacks at the same time, preventing people from leaving the area safely."

"Forced evacuations of homes and bombing of neighbourhoods by the Israeli forces is turning north Gaza into uninhabitable ruins," it added.

The international group called on the Israeli army "to halt forced displacements and to stop the all-out war on people in Gaza," and ensure the protection of civilians and hospitals.

On Tuesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the Israeli army had warned the three hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuate staff and patients, threatening killing, destruction, and arrest, similar to the situation at Al-Shifa Hospital several months ago.

The announcement came after the Israeli army launched a military operation in Jabalia in northern Gaza on Sunday, citing the need to prevent Hamas from regaining strength in the area.

This followed intense strikes on northern Gaza’s eastern and western regions, the heaviest since May.

Since beginning its Gaza offensive last October, Israel has followed a pattern of declaring certain areas to be “safe zones,” pushing Palestinians to relocate there, yet still attacking them in the zones or even en route to promised safety.

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 42,100 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 98,100 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.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and Hamas have failed over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the war.

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

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara