——– At least 342 Palestinians died in northern Gaza since the onset of Israeli operations earlier this month
DM Monitoring
GAZA: Bodies are scattered across the streets of Jabalya, northern Gaza, with entire roads devastated by Israeli airstrikes, as the humanitarian crisis deepens in the region, according to Fares Afana, the head of emergency services in northern Gaza.
“You can see the signs of hunger on the people in northern Gaza,” Afana told CNN on Monday. He described the scene as one where “Israeli forces are destroying everything that represents life or signs of life.”
Afana noted that efforts to identify deceased Palestinians are hampered by animals scavenging on the bodies, saying, “Stray dogs who are hungry are eating these bodies in the street.”
Afana shared a harrowing image of a young boy whose body had reportedly been fed upon by stray dogs.
He emphasised the plight of “thousands of children” and pregnant women trapped in the besieged area, where Israeli military operations have intensified over the past 12 days.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that their actions target Hamas’ presence in the region. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that at least 50,000 individuals have been displaced from Jabalya, while around 400,000 remaining residents face starvation and relentless bombardment.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), condemned the situation, stating, “Civilians are given no choice but to either starve or leave.”
He further remarked, “In Gaza, too many red lines have been crossed. What might constitute war crimes can still be prevented.”
Despite claims from Israeli officials that humanitarian aid is entering the region, Afana reported that Israeli forces fired on residents seeking food at a UNRWA warehouse.
UNRWA confirmed that an artillery strike on their food distribution centre in Jabalya on Monday resulted in at least 10 deaths and 40 injuries. Afana described the dangers faced by paramedics trying to navigate the destruction. “It is very dangerous to reach this area due to blown-up roads and direct fire from the Israeli military on our vehicles,” he said, sharing footage of an ambulance damaged by shrapnel near Yemen al-Sa’eed Hospital. “What is happening in northern Gaza is a real genocide,” Afana added, lamenting the challenges faced in carrying out emergency services.
The Gaza Government Media Office reported at least 342 Palestinian deaths in northern Gaza since the onset of Israeli operations earlier this month, with hundreds more injured, including many civilians.
