GAZA, May 14 – At least 65 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on six residential buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp and the nearby town of Jabalia in northern Gaza early on Wednesday, Palestinian civil defense and medical officials said.
The strikes hit the targets while residents were asleep, according to Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense. “Most of the victims are women and children,” he told Xinhua, adding that rescue efforts were hindered by a shortage of equipment and resources. “We are witnessing scenes of destruction and casualties on a daily basis,” he said.
A medical source at the Indonesian Hospital, one of the few functioning facilities in the north, said emergency surgeries and amputations were being performed in the corridors. The hospital, the source said, was overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the influx of casualties.
Eyewitnesses said the targeted homes belonged to local families and were sheltering displaced people who had fled fighting elsewhere in the enclave.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the Jabalia strikes.
Late on Tuesday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation warning for residents in Jabalia town, Jabalia camp, and surrounding areas. “This is a final advance warning before the attack,” he said in a post on social media.
The strikes in Jabalia came hours after an Israeli air raid near the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, killed at least 28 people, including patients, caregivers, and people seeking shelter nearby, according to the Gaza-based health authorities.
The Israeli army said the Khan Younis strike targeted Mohammed Sinwar, a senior commander in the military wing of Hamas and the brother of the group’s former leader, Yahya Sinwar. Hamas has not commented on the allegation.
XINHUA
