Israeli military operations intensified across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, with airstrikes killing at least 50 Palestinians as troops focused on the northern Jabalia area. According to Palestinian health officials, 17 people were killed near Al-Falouja in Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp, while 10 others died in Bani Suhaila in the south when an Israeli missile struck a home. Airstrikes earlier in the day also destroyed three houses in the Sabra suburb of Gaza City, with two bodies recovered and 12 more people still unaccounted for.
The violence also spread to central Gaza, where eight Palestinians were killed in Nuseirat camp after another Israeli strike. A doctor was among the casualties in Jabalia while trying to assist those injured by Israeli bombardments. Ambulances and medical personnel also came under Israeli fire in northern and southern Gaza, raising concerns about the safety of aid workers. Israeli forces have been focused on Jabalia for over ten days, returning to northern areas heavily bombarded earlier in the year.
The United Nations and Palestinian officials have expressed concerns that Israel is attempting to clear residents from northern Gaza, a claim that Israeli authorities deny. Nonetheless, residents report that dozens of homes have been destroyed during the offensive. The Israeli military stated that dozens of fighters had been killed in Jabalia, including a unit that fired an anti-tank missile at their forces. Meanwhile, the U.N. human rights office warned that Israel appears to be cutting off North Gaza from the rest of the territory.
Adrian Zimmerman, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza, highlighted the dire situation facing families, who are experiencing “unimaginable fear” and exhaustion. The Israeli military’s administrative unit, Cogat, responsible for overseeing aid and shipments to Gaza, asserted that their operations were targeting terrorist infrastructure and that humanitarian aid was being provided. Hamas, however, denies embedding its operatives in civilian areas.
The Jabalia camp is now encircled by Israeli forces, with tanks advancing into nearby Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, aiming to eliminate remaining Hamas fighters. Israeli officials have advised residents to evacuate to southern Gaza, but U.N. and Palestinian representatives argue that there is no safe place left in the enclave. Hamas has claimed that its fighters are engaging in intense battles with Israeli forces in and around Jabalia.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that Israeli forces ordered three hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuate, but medical staff insisted they would continue providing services despite the dangers. Cogat stated that it had facilitated the transfer of dozens of patients and medical personnel from northern hospitals and had delivered fuel and medical supplies to Gaza. However, Hamas officials accused Israel of blocking ambulances from reaching the wounded.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, a senior official in Gaza’s Hamas-run government, criticized Israeli claims of facilitating aid, arguing that the military was preventing the recovery of bodies from the streets. Medical facilities in northern Gaza, including Kamal Adwan Hospital, are reportedly facing critical shortages of food, medication, and fuel. Hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya warned that the looming humanitarian disaster could particularly affect vulnerable patients, such as those in neonatal units.
Northern Gaza, home to more than half of the territory’s 2.3 million residents, has been especially hard-hit in Israel’s offensive, which began following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7. That attack left 1,200 Israelis dead and around 250 taken hostage. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry estimates over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes. The conflict continues to exact a heavy toll on civilians as fighting shows no sign of abating.
