GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defence agency reported on Saturday that more than 400 Palestinians have been killed in the northern parts of the besieged territory during the ongoing Israeli military offensive over the past two weeks.
The Israeli operation, which commenced on October 6, has included extensive air and ground assaults, displacing tens of thousands of civilians and triggering a deepening humanitarian crisis as the Israeli military has tightened its siege.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency, told AFP that rescue teams have recovered over 400 bodies from targeted areas in northern Gaza, including Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun.
“We have recovered more than 400 martyrs from the various targeted areas in the northern Gaza Strip,” said Bassal, specifying that many of the dead were women, children, and the elderly.
The situation in Jabalia, in particular, is dire, with dozens of bodies scattered on the streets amid ongoing Israeli shelling. “There are dozens of bodies scattered in the streets of Jabalia due to continuous shelling,” Bassal said.
Bassal noted that his team had counted 386 dead up to Friday, with an additional 33 killed in a massacre resulting from an Israeli air strike on Jabalia refugee camp overnight from Friday to Saturday, bringing the total death toll in the north to over 400.
The Israeli military has neither confirmed nor denied the figures, stating only that it is “checking” the reports.
Bassal also highlighted the challenges rescue teams face in reaching bombed areas. “There are a number of pleas from families being bombed inside Jabalia camp,” he said, adding that communication and internet networks in several parts of northern Gaza have been disrupted, making it difficult for citizens to contact rescue services.
The bodies of those killed have been transferred to hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, including Kamal Adwan, Al-Awda, and Indonesian hospitals. “They were all transferred to the northern Gaza Strip hospitals of Kamal Adwan, Al-Awda and Indonesian,” said Bassal.
The Israeli assault on Jabalia began with intense strikes on October 6 and has since spread to other northern regions of Gaza.
Aid organizations have raised alarm over the mounting death toll and warned of a severe humanitarian crisis. As the siege tightens, many residents remain trapped in dangerous conditions, unable to access food, medical care, or safe shelter.
