Bombings, killer drones, and starvation: eyewitnesses describe Israel’s extermination campaign in northern Gaza
mondoweiss.net
The Israeli offensive against northern Gaza continues for the twelfth day in a row, imposing a brutal siege on an area that houses at least 200,000 Palestinians. The offensive, which began in early October, is targeting the town and refugee camp of Jabalia, in addition to Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, and has featured a massive air and ground assault to destroy the infrastructure that remains in those areas.
The Israeli army ordered residents of northern Gaza to leave, indicating only one route through Salah al-Din Street that extends from Gaza’s north to the south. Most crucially, this prevents residents from fleeing to Gaza City and staying north of Wadi Gaza. Jabalia in particular has received the brunt of the Israeli attack. Eyewitness testimony shared with Mondoweiss indicates that the Israeli army’s strangulation of Jabalia has served as a siege within the larger siege of northern Gaza.
During the recent onslaught, the camp has been pounded with heavy artillery and airstrikes while Palestinian residents have also been targeted with quadcopter drones. On Thursday, October 17, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Abu Hussein boys school in Western Jabalia, where thousands of Palestinians took shelter. The strike, conducted with two air missiles, killed at least 28 Palestinians, including children, and wounded more than 50.