Palestinians look for survivors following Israeli airstrike in Nusseirat refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Doaa AlBaz)
Israeli airstrikes conducted on Tuesday targeted a refugee camp near Gaza City, resulting in the destruction of apartment buildings and the initiation of ground battles between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in the northern Gaza region. The Interior Ministry, under Hamas’s control, reported that at least six airstrikes had caused substantial damage to apartment blocks in Jabaliya, with a high number of casualties. However, specific casualty details were not immediately available.
The Israeli military disclosed that they had carried out a significant strike in Jabaliya, targeting Hamas infrastructure within civilian buildings. This action led to the collapse of tunnels situated beneath these structures and resulted in the deaths of numerous Hamas militants. Among those killed was Ibrahim Biari, who oversaw operations in the northern area of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli authorities confirmed that two of their soldiers lost their lives in the fighting in northern Gaza, marking the first military casualties reported since the ground offensive commenced in the small Mediterranean territory.
With a substantial Palestinian population still residing in northern Gaza, Israeli troops and tanks have reportedly advanced from multiple directions towards Gaza City, the densely populated urban hub. The escalation of the conflict into residential neighborhoods is expected to result in increased casualties. Meanwhile, overwhelmed hospitals in the north are nearing collapse, facing a shortage of supplies and enduring strikes in close proximity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed calls for a ceasefire and has vowed to crush Hamas’s ability to govern Gaza or threaten Israel, following the violent events on October 7 that sparked the war.
In the Jabaliya refugee camp, a densely populated area on the outskirts of Gaza City, images from Al-Jazeera TV depicted scenes of destruction, with at least four significant craters visible where buildings once stood. Surrounding the rubble were partially collapsed structures. Numerous rescue workers and onlookers were seen sifting through the debris in search of survivors. Aided by young men, they rescued two children from the upper floors of a damaged apartment block, with the condition of these children unclear.
The Israeli military reported the successful takeover of a Hamas military stronghold in west Jabaliya by ground troops, resulting in the deaths of 50 militants. However, a Hamas spokesman, Hazem Qassem, denied the military’s claim, contending that it was an attempt to justify actions against civilians.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported over 8,500 Palestinian casualties, primarily women and children. On the Israeli side, over 1,400 people have died, predominantly civilians during the initial Hamas attack. Additionally, Palestinian militants have abducted around 240 individuals during their incursion and have continued to launch rockets into Israel.
Following Israel’s successful rescue of a captive held by Hamas, the militant group’s armed wing announced plans to release non-Israeli hostages in the coming days, offering their release in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel, however, dismissed this proposal.
With more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians displaced from their homes, many have sought refuge in crowded U.N.-run schools and hospitals, alongside thousands of wounded patients.
The conflict has also led to tensions on other fronts, including daily clashes between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah along the border, and Israeli and U.S. strikes in Syria targeting Iranian-affiliated groups that support Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Israeli military reported intercepting what appeared to be a drone near Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel, and also intercepted a missile over the Red Sea, neither of which breached Israeli airspace.
Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, later claimed to have fired ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, marking their third such operation and threatening further actions. In recent events, a U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted missiles and drones launched by the Houthis toward Israel.
In the occupied West Bank, where Israeli-Palestinian violence has escalated, the Israeli army demolished the vacant family home of Saleh al-Arouri, a senior Hamas official who has been in exile for over a decade.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed the deployment of forces on a large scale within Gaza, acknowledging the high achievements on the battlefield while recognizing the unfortunate price in terms of casualties. Israeli forces have reportedly made advances in various directions, encircling Gaza City and making substantial progress in the conflict. The military reported targeting around 300 militant sites in the past day, including tunnel compounds, and engaging in battles with militants armed with antitank missiles and machine guns.
Video footage from the military depicted soldiers and tanks navigating between rows of demolished buildings, some of which were several stories tall. The Israeli military maintains that it targets Hamas fighters and infrastructure, but it is claimed that militants operate within civilian areas, thereby putting civilians at risk.
Hamas released a video displaying what they described as a battle in northern Gaza, featuring a fighter wearing a GoPro-style camera emerging from a tunnel with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. The footage depicted the fighter and other militants amidst gunfire, but independent verification of these reports remains challenging.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deteriorate. The World Health Organization reported damage to two hospitals and the destruction of an ambulance in Gaza within the last two days. Furthermore, all 13 hospitals operating in the northern region received Israeli evacuation orders in recent days, which medical professionals declined, asserting that it would jeopardize patients reliant on life support.
Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, the largest in the territory, is on the brink of exhausting its fuel supply, creating a dire situation. The Gaza Strip has endured weeks of power outages, and Israel’s restrictions on fuel imports, aimed at preventing it from falling into the hands of Hamas, have exacerbated the crisis.
While a limited amount of food, water, medicine, and other supplies have been allowed into Gaza from Egypt, the quantity is far below the required amount, as indicated by relief organizations. On Tuesday, a convoy of 59 aid trucks, the largest thus far, entered Gaza through the Rafah Crossing with Egypt, bringing the total number of aid trucks to 216 since October 22, according to Wael Abu Omar, Hamas’ spokesperson for the crossing.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported that 64 of its staff members have lost their lives since the war began. This includes a man who was killed alongside his wife and eight children in a strike on Monday, marking the highest number of U.N. aid workers killed in such a short time in any conflict around the world.
A significant portion of Gaza’s population has followed the Israeli military’s instructions to evacuate from the northern region of the strip to the south, estimated to be around 800,000 people. The northern area had a pre-war population of approximately 1.1 million residents.
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