What we know about the Jabaliya refugee camp attack Australian police search for surfer’s body after shark attack

What happened?

Numerous people were killed in a major Israeli army attack on Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

About 50 terrorists were killed in Tuesday’s attack, including a mastermind behind Hamas’ Islamist massacre in Israel on October 7, according to the Israeli military. At least 35 people, including children and women, were killed in the attack, according to a doctor at Kamal Adwan Hospital. In addition, more than 200 injured people were admitted to the clinic, said Hussam Abu Safija of the German news agency.

According to news agency AFP, video footage from the accident scene showed at least 47 bodies being pulled from the rubble.

What does Israel say?

The Israeli army spoke of a “large-scale attack” on a “Hamas military stronghold” west of the city of Jabaliya. Terrorists, among other things, were trained there. In addition to ground troops, fighter planes were also involved in the attack. Tunnels also collapsed as a result of the bombardment.

The operation killed Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari, who, among other things, was said to have been involved in the Hamas massacres in the Israeli border area three and a half weeks ago. Whether Biari is really dead and whether he was there cannot be independently verified at this time.

Biari hid among civilians, a common Hamas tactic, the Israeli military said. The Islamic organization was also said to have control over civilian buildings in the area.

What does Hamas say?

Hamas strongly denies that any of its leaders were in the refugee camp. Hazem Qassem, the militant group’s spokesman, accused Israel of trying to justify the “heinous crime against safe civilians, children and women in the Jabaliya camp” with this statement.

According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, “hundreds of people” were injured and killed in the attack on Jabaliya. Authorities did not provide an exact number of deaths. The information could not initially be independently verified.

What do the local people say?

The attack, which resulted in a huge explosion, felt like an earthquake, resident Ragheb Aqal told AFP.

Mohammad Ibrahim was queuing to buy bread when suddenly six to eight bombs fell. He tells CNN:

Video from Jabaliya’s nearest medical facility shows corpses lined up outside the building. Meanwhile, injured people are waiting inside for care.

Many of them are being cared for on the floor because the hospital is already completely overcrowded. This is why some people are transported to Al-Shifa Hospital. In other words: the hospital where, according to Israeli information, a Hamas headquarters should be located. However, Al-Shifa is just as crowded. A young doctor tells CNN:

(saw, with material from the SDA and DPA news agencies)