Refugee camps, schools and other areas of the Gaza Strip were bombed by the Israeli Army this Tuesday, December 26. The new attacks that corner the population of the enclave came on a day in which the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Herzi Halevi, warned that the war will last “many more months.” The military institution assured that its troops hit “100” Hamas targets in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the blockaded territory is once again experiencing a general blackout: Internet and telephone services were cut off, reported the Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel.
Central Gaza was one of the main objectives of Israel's offensive this Tuesday, December 26. Air and ground attacks reached the refugee camps of Nuseirat, Maghazi and Bureij.
In addition, a school was destroyed in Beit Lahia, in the north of the enclave, and several residents were shot while evacuating, according to testimonies from survivors. In the south, in Rafah, explosions were also reported.
Without a safe place, the nearly 2.4 million Palestinians who reside in the blockaded strip of land have less and less space to shelter from attacks. The largest Israeli offensive against the enclave ends until this Tuesday 20,915 dead and 54,918 injuredaccording to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Having achieved operational control of northern Gaza, Israeli forces are aiming for greater control of the besieged Palestinian territory. Despite international pressure for a ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's objective has been clear: to intensify his offensive until “eliminating” Hamas.
The war, almost three months old, is causing an enormous humanitarian crisis that raises alarm among human rights organizations and Arab countries. However, Israel continues to have the “irrefutable” support of the United States and European Union governments.
In Gaza there are no safe places, the UN emphasizes, and no habitable spaces either. Most people find themselves in improvised camps with limited basic services, in some cases none at all.
Telecommunications interrupted again in Gaza
This Tuesday, a communications outage was again reported in the enclave, which harms the work of journalists and humanitarian workers, as well as the daily lives of Gazans.
The Israeli Army defends that it launched a map on the internet to know which areas will be attacked. They distributed flyers with QR codes so that citizens can evacuate to safe areas. But without communications, obtaining advance information about attacks becomes a nearly impossible task for the Palestinians.
![Palestinians check a house destroyed during Israeli bombing in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, December 7, 2023.](https://s.france24.com/media/display/c1dc1582-9535-11ee-98f6-005056a97e36/AP23341317143153.jpg)
Meanwhile, at a school in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, eyewitness accounts indicated that groups of Israeli soldiers arrived at the site, where entire families were sheltering, and shot them.
“They asked us to evacuate. “People began to evacuate, but they were shot in the courtyard.”said one of the refugees who managed to survive.
“They rushed in large groups and the Army started firing gas grenades. Then we left Jabalia and, as you see, the school is charred, there is nothing left here,” he described.
The Israeli Army claims it attacked “100 targets in 24 hours” in Gaza
This December 26, after 81 days of war, Israeli troops indicated that they attacked more than 100 Hamas targets in the last 24 hours, including tunnel entrances and military sites used to attack soldiers. In that same period, according to Palestinian authorities, 241 Gazans were killed by Israeli fire.
Thick clouds of smoke rise every day over Khan Younis, the city in southern Gaza that became the new focus of Israel's attacks and where most of the population has been displaced, after weeks in the that foreign troops urged the evacuation of those who lived in the north of the enclave. The bombings also reached Rafah, another city in the south and near the border with Egypt.
Abir and Mahmoud's family have had to experience the worst days of their lives. With their three children, they live in a makeshift camp. They are part of the more than 1.9 million displaced people left by the conflict so far.
Food is scarce and their little ones beg for food at night, but Abir and Mahmoud can't get more than small rations at best.
“I was going to get bread for my children and then an attack occurred next to me. I thought I would become a martyr because I didn't hear anything. I saw people running and then I realized the missile was right next to me. I was still walking and the missile was still moving and, fortunately, God saved me from death,” Mahmoud said.
Jana, one of their daughters, has autism and taking care of her in the midst of the bombs has been a titanic task. “At night she screams and from time to time asks for food,” said Abir, her mother, mentioning that “it has been a very long 80 days. The world has not helped us; everyone is silent. Why is everyone silent?,” she questioned.
Mahmoud has tried to take care of his family, but disease has spread in Gaza, with no clean water and unsanitary conditions. “My wife is not feeling well because she suffers from thyroid disease. “I took her to the hospital and it was a challenge to get there,” he said.
“More people in less space”
The aid entering Gaza is insufficient and the displacement of thousands of Palestinians has caused the logistical operation of humanitarian aid organizations to reach the limit, even risking their lives.
Tomas White, the director of affairs at the United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA), said they are concerned that once aid reaches Gaza, the ongoing conflict will prevent it from being delivered.
“More people in less space. Rafah, in the south, is now on the verge of exploding. Without respite. It is time for a humanitarian ceasefire,” White stressed.
As of December 22, in its latest report, UNRWA indicated that More than 85% of the population has been displaced throughout the Gaza Stripsome of them on multiple occasions in search of security.
The UN agency estimated that approximately 1.77 million displaced people were taking refuge or accessing services in its organization's shelters. Of this number, almost 1.4 million displaced people are taking refuge in 156 UNRWA facilities in Gaza's five governorates. Approximately 400,000 are located in the vicinity of these facilities and receive assistance.
The agency warned that telecommunications blackouts make an already difficult operating environment even more difficult.
With Reuters, AFP and AP
#death #toll #Gaza #rises #telecommunications #cut #enclave