An Israeli air strike hit and destroyed a five-story residential building in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza. The strike killed at least 109 Palestinians and wounded dozens, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
The Israeli military says it is aware of the claims made by Gaza’s health ministry over the air strike that hit the residential building but has stressed that the number might not be wholly accurate. In a statement, the IDF said that it “calls on the media to be careful with information published by Hamas, as has been proven in several previous events.”
The IDF’s statement also reiterated that the Israeli military “acts in a targeted manner and makes efforts to avoid harming uninvolved civilians.”
Footage from the scene of the horrific Israeli massacre this morning in Beit Lahiya, where at least 94 civilians were killed. pic.twitter.com/LmsKGBYw2z
— WAFA News Agency – English (@WAFANewsEnglish) October 29, 2024
The Beit Lahiya area in Gaza had been given an evacuation order by Israel
Residents of the Beit Lahiya area of northern Gaza had been ordered to evacuate by the Israeli military, which recounted in its statement that “this is an active combat zone.”
IDF personnel have been operating in northern Gaza over the last two weeks, particularly in the three areas of Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun. Kamal Adwan, the director of a nearby hospital in Jabalia, told international news outlets that children are being treated at the hospital. Still, they’re struggling to treat patients as a result of the lack of medicine.
CAUGHT: The @IDF and ISA apprehended approx. 100 terrorists hiding in Jabaliya's Kamal Adwan Hospital, including several involved in the Oct 7 Massacre. They also uncovered weapons, terror funds, and intelligence inside.
To avoid harm to civilians, the @IDF enabled patients to… pic.twitter.com/0LBNJqB6S3
— Israel in New York (@IsraelinNewYork) October 28, 2024
The IDF raided the Jabalia hospital last week, claiming that Hamas fighters were hiding there. Israel has also emphasized that its operations in northern Gaza are meant to stop Hamas from regrouping and accused the terrorist organization of mixing with civilians for their own protection.
Northern Gaza has seen an increase in fighting, with Israel putting out statements saying that it had killed 40 Hamas terrorists in the Jabalia region.
Northern Gaza faces a deepening humanitarian crisis
As fighting continues in northern Gaza between the IDF and Hamas terrorists, the situation for civilians worsens. Hundreds of thousands of people are living under desperate conditions in the area, and the actions of Israel and the IDF have yet again been criticized by high-ranking UN officials.
Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, commented on the situation, saying “The Israeli military is subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege and risk of starvation.” He also said, however, that it was unacceptable for Hamas and other Palestinian populations to operate among civilians.
The situation is critical, even more so after the Israeli parliament voted to ban the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, from the country. Unrwa is a crucial player in terms of aid delivery to Palestinians in Gaza. This could seriously hinder the delivery of aid to a population in desperate need.
The vote by the Israeli Parliament against @UNRWA is unprecedented. It opposes the @UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law.
Failing to push back against these bills will weaken our common multilateral mechanism.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 28, 2024
