What do the Palestinians say?
AOn Tuesday afternoon there were the first reports of a serious attack in the Jabalia refugee camp. Photos and videos showed impact craters, rubble and completely or partially destroyed buildings. The densely populated area lies on the outskirts of the city of Gaza. Numerous covered corpses could be seen in photographs from the Indonesian hospital grounds. According to reports, doctors and emergency workers were overwhelmed to provide medical care to the large number of victims.
The information on the number of victims varied. While Hamas said 400 were killed and wounded, health officials said at least 50 Palestinians had been killed and at least another 150 wounded. Hamas said no senior commanders were killed in the attacks. She accused Israel of deliberately attacking civilians.
What does Israel say?
The Israeli army announced on Tuesday evening that it had carried out the massive attack in the north of the Gaza Strip. Infantry and tank units attacked a Hamas “stronghold” in the Jabalia refugee camp. Hamas forces holed up in a high-rise building, soldiers identified the fighters and conducted air strikes against them. These attacks then caused an underground tunnel system to collapse and several neighboring buildings to collapse.
According to the army, Ibrahim Biari is said to have been in these tunnels. He reportedly commanded the “Central Jabalia Brigade” and was one of the commanders of the attack on Israel on October 7th. The brigade seized several civilian buildings. Along with Biari, “numerous” fighters are said to have been killed, around fifty. Apparently several Israeli soldiers also died in the fighting.
The army released a satellite image of the “Hamas military compound,” where it said “terrorist activities were practiced and carried out.” Alleged Hamas facilities were shown on the recording, such as entrances to tunnels and rocket launching posts. Adjacent to the site are, among other things, mosques and a clinic.
The army reiterated its call for civilians to leave the northern Gaza Strip. Since the start of the war, it says it has attacked more than 11,000 targets in the Gaza Strip.
What are the international reactions?
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “emphasized the need to prioritize the safety of civilians during military operations” in a telephone conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Joav Gallant, according to the Pentagon. The phone call took place several hours after the attack in Jabalia.
Qatar spoke of a “new massacre against the defenseless Palestinian people.” It undermines mediation and de-escalation efforts. Qatar is significantly involved in efforts to free people kidnapped by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia also strongly condemned the air strike.
Several South American countries have condemned Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Bolivia broke off diplomatic relations with Israel because of its attacks. The South American country made the decision “in rejection and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and the threat to international peace and security,” the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
At the same time, Chile and Colombia recalled their ambassadors for consultations. “Chile strongly condemns the military operation in the Gaza Strip and notes with grave concern that this operation, which constitutes a collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population, does not respect the fundamental norms of international law,” the Chilean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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