Israel attacked Beit Lahiya on Saturday, hitting residential buildings. At least 87 people were killed or missing, according to the Government Media Office.
Israel besieged northern Gaza more than two weeks ago and has since ferociously attacked anyone remaining in the area, resulting in the deaths of many civilians.
Here’s what you need to know about Israel’s ongoing assault in northern Gaza:
What is Israel doing in northern Gaza?
Israel launched the assault in northern Gaza on October 6, saying it was aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping.
The Israeli army’s Arab spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said Hamas had established “a terrorist infrastructure in your region, exploiting the population, shelters and health facilities as human shields.”
Israel demanded the evacuation of civilians from large areas, including Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoon, calling on residents to flee south, including to the already overcrowded “humanitarian zone” of al-Mawasi.
Israel has repeatedly attacked humanitarian areas, prompting the United Nations to repeat that no part of the enclave is safe.
“We feel like bodies without souls. The shelling was intense and merciless around our house, ignoring the presence of children and women inside,” a resident of northern Gaza told Tel Aviv Tribune. “Bodies are left in the streets. They have become dog food.
Relief efforts in the north were hampered by a communications blackout and road obstructions due to the siege.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military released images showing dozens of Palestinians gathered near the Indonesian hospital, where many had taken refuge – people in wheelchairs were among those detained.
How many people are still there?
The evacuation order affected some 400,000 people living there, or about 20 percent of Gaza’s population, according to UN estimates.
Many of them are trapped, unable to leave due to intense bombardment, Israeli snipers and ground troops.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned Israel on Thursday that “any forcible transfer of a large part of the population of northern Gaza would amount to a war crime.”
Analysts say Israel’s evacuation orders in Gaza indicate that those who cannot, or choose not to, leave are considered military targets, with “evacuation zones” being treated as “zones of put to death.”
What are the living conditions of residents of northern Gaza?
No food aid has entered the north since October 2, the acting UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief said in a report on Wednesday, adding that “all essential supplies for the survival are exhausted.”
She warned that while distribution of “existing food reserves” continued, those stocks were “rapidly dwindling.”
The UN World Food Program said on October 12 that the north was “virtually isolated and we are not able to operate there.”
James Smith, an emergency doctor who recently returned from working in Gaza, told Tel Aviv Tribune that he had joined several humanitarian and medical convoys attempting to move from southern Gaza to the north.
“Most often, the Israeli army manning the checkpoints denied us access,” he said. “Very few UN convoys that attempted to reach the north succeeded. This also meant, at times, that we could not collect injured and sick patients from the north.
The Israeli military has denied restricting aid supplies, saying that since October 1, more than 9,000 tons of humanitarian aid have entered Gaza through various crossing points.
He said part of this aid had been transferred directly to northern Gaza.
The Government Media Office refuted the claim, saying Israel’s “lies” about allowing trucks are completely false.
How many people have the Israeli army killed?
Israel has killed at least 450 people in northern Gaza since its siege on October 6, according to doctors interviewed by Tel Aviv Tribune.
One of the main centers of Israeli attacks in the north has been Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp. He killed at least 33 people on Friday in Jabalia.
Can the injured be treated?
Three hospitals continue to partially operate in northern Gaza: the Indonesian al-Awda hospital and Kamal Adwan.
These health facilities experienced a massive influx of patients during the two-week Israeli siege, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
On Friday, the ministry’s general director of hospitals, Muhammad Zaqout, said all three facilities had been bombed in this latest Israeli operation.
The ministry said two patients at the Indonesian hospital died due to a power outage and the Israeli siege, which is preventing medical supplies from reaching them.
Meanwhile, one person was killed and others injured after Israeli forces shelled the entrance to Kamal Adwan Hospital on Saturday.
However, despite evacuation orders from the Israeli army, doctors at the three facilities refused to leave their patients.
