- Israel claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, which targeted Hamas officials.
- Although it is difficult to ascertain an exact number of casualties, Hamas claims the deaths of 195 people in these attacks.
- These bombings prompted numerous reactions from the international community, with the UN High Commission on Human Rights believing that these actions could constitute “war crimes.”
Over the last two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza was heavily bombed by the Israeli army, which allegedly wanted to target Hamas leaders. 20 Minutes takes stock of these new bombings.
What happened ?
Jabaliya, the Gaza Strip’s largest refugee center and normally home to 116,000 people, came under Israeli shelling on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday evening, the Israeli army confirmed this bombing of the camp, which targeted Ibrahim Biari, a Hamas commander portrayed as one of those responsible for the October 7 attacks, and made it possible to “eliminate” him.
“The Palestinian people deserve peace and security. Instead, an Israeli army spokesman, Richard Hecht, accused them of being used as human shields. One claim was denied by Abdul Issa Massoud, a resident of Jabaliya, who assured AFP that there was “no resistance (from Hamas fighters, editor’s note)” in the camp
Since the bloody Hamas attacks, the Israeli army has led a response in Gaza, claiming to have “eliminated” Muhammad Atzar, the head of the anti-tank unit, in an attack, without specifying where he was killed.
What were the consequences of the bombing of the camp?
The Hamas government announced Thursday that 195 people were killed in two Israeli bombings on the Jabaliya refugee camp on Tuesday and Wednesday. “The number of victims of the first and second massacres in Jabaliya exceeds the number of a thousand martyrs and wounded. We recorded 195 martyrs, 120 missing under the rubble and 777 injured,” the Hamas government press service said in a statement. This assessment cannot be verified immediately, AFP recalled.
On site, agency journalists observed massive destruction as survivors cleared the rubble in search of survivors. Rescuers also claimed that “entire families” had been decimated. In the first bombing of the camp on Tuesday, seven hostages were killed, “including three foreign passport holders,” Hamas said. According to Israeli authorities, 240 hostages are being held by the Islamist movement.
What reactions after the bombing?
On Wednesday evening, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ruled that these bombings could constitute “war crimes” due to “the high number of civilian casualties and the scale of destruction.” The head of UN humanitarian operations, Martin Griffiths, denounced an “atrocity”. Antonio Guterres, UN secretary-general, said he was “appalled” by the attacks on the refugee camp.
On Wednesday evening, France said it was “deeply concerned by the very high toll on the Palestinian civilian population.” While Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his “unwavering solidarity” with Israel, he emphasized “the importance of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip” in a telephone interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Qatar decried a “new massacre,” while Saudi Arabia and Argentina condemned these Israeli attacks.