Israel attacks crowded refugee camp in Gaza, kills Hamas commander

An Israeli Defense Forces statement said the attack on Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp, killed Ibrahim Biari. Israel said he was the ringleader of what it called a “murderous terrorist attack” on October 7.

The site of the attack in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza on October 31. Photo: Reuters

Israel steps up ground and air attacks

Palestinian health officials said at least 50 Palestinians were killed in the airstrike on the refugee camp and 150 were wounded. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem denied any senior commanders were there.

A Hamas statement said 400 people were killed and wounded in Jabalia, home to families of refugees from wars with Israel since 1948. The blast left large craters in a rubble-strewn area surrounded by crumbling concrete buildings.

Israeli ground forces have been battling Hamas militants hiding in a vast network of tunnels. The tunnels under the cramped enclave are a top target for Israel as it expands its ground offensive.

Some of the estimated 240 hostages believed to be held in the tunnels have added to the complexity of Israel's urban warfare. The Israeli military said its forces had struck about 300 targets in the past day, including anti-tank and rocket launchers in the tunnels, as well as underground Hamas military sites.

Hamas also responded with anti-tank missiles and machine guns. Hamas said in a statement that its fighters engaged in fierce battles with Israeli ground forces and inflicted losses on the enemy.

Humanitarian crisis and hostages

UN and other aid officials say civilians in Gaza have been engulfed by a public health disaster, with hospitals struggling to treat casualties amid widespread shortages.

After the Jabalia attack, dozens of bodies were covered in white sheets and piled on the side of the nearby Indonesian Hospital. Israel has repeatedly warned Gazans to evacuate the northern areas, but many remain there.

Israeli infantry supported by tanks and armored vehicles are attacking ground targets in Gaza. Photo: Israeli Army

Faced with dwindling supplies of medicine, power cuts and airstrikes or artillery shelling hospital buildings, surgeons in Gaza have been working around the clock to try to save the lives of a constant stream of patients.

Hamas has told mediators that it will release a number of foreign prisoners in the coming days, Abu Ubaida — a spokesman for the group's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades — said in a video on Telegram on Tuesday.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US had made "real progress" in the past few hours in talks aimed at securing safe passage for Americans and other foreign nationals wanting to leave Gaza.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt are working to open the Rafah border crossing into Egypt to allow people to enter and exit. Egyptian authorities will allow 81 Gazans seriously injured in weeks of bombing to enter Egypt on Wednesday to complete their treatment, the Palestinian Authority said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday renewed his call for the protection of civilians caught in the conflict, stressing the need for all parties to adopt appropriate behaviour and preventative measures.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, AP, AJ)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-tan-cong-trai-ti-nan-o-gaza-giet-chet-chi-huy-hamas-post270668.html