“Ethnic cleansing and genocide”: North Gaza under Israeli bombardment, siege for 18 consecutive days

Gaza (Quds News Network)- For 18 consecutive days, about 400,000 Palestinians have been under Israeli bombardment and siege in northern Gaza, specifically in the Jabalia refugee camp. Journalists, locals, and hospital directors have issued warnings that Israel is effectively erasing the area.

Mahmoud Bassal, the spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza said in a statement:

“What we are witnessing today in the northern Gaza Strip is primarily the targeting of civilians.

The occupation is targeting displaced civilians with heavy artillery, and our teams cannot reach the many martyrs.

The occupation persists in its policy of killing and carries out acts of genocide, targeting residential areas to force people to flee.

The occupation is shifting its targets in Jabalia, and our teams are suffering from the siege, starvation, genocide, and the destruction of all aspects of life.

The goal of the occupation is ethnic cleansing, and over 600 martyrs have reached Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda hospitals, with hundreds missing.

We are receiving many pleas from those trapped under the rubble in Jabalia, and genuine action is needed from international organizations.

80% of our capabilities and resources have been destroyed, and we face a fuel shortage due to the ongoing siege, risking the cessation of our services.

Can you imagine the consequences of our services stopping for civilians in the northern Gaza Strip?

The occupation shows no regard for targeting our teams, resulting in 85 martyrs and over 290 injured, many of whom are in critical condition.

Our teams are also suffering from hunger; most of us haven’t eaten in days. How can we continue working?

What is happening in northern Gaza is genocide, ethnic cleansing, and the eradication of all aspects of life.”

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif reported that patients, injured people, and their families don’t know where to go, as the occupation forces have just threatened Kamal Adwan Hospital and demanded its immediate evacuation. They also threatened the Beit Lahiya Project area, which is the last refuge for over 150,000 citizens amidst the ongoing displacement and ethnic cleansing operations against the residents of northern Gaza.”

المرضى والجرحى وأهاليهم لا يعرفون إلى أين يتجهون، إذ قبل قليل هددت قوات الاحتلال مستشفى كمال عدوان وطالبت بإخلائه فوراً، وهددت منطقة مشروع بيت لاهيا وهي المطاف الأخير لأكثر من 150ألف مواطن في إطار عمليات التهجير والتطهير العرقي المستمرة التي تمارسها ضد سكان شمال غزة pic.twitter.com/0fD3KPDuT5

— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) October 22, 2024

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor also said Israel is “systematically working to expel Palestinians and empty northern Gaza through massacres, bombing hospitals and shelters, and destroying already fragile living conditions.”

“The massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army on the ground indicate that the plan to clear the land of its inhabitants and destroy Palestinian existence is being implemented at an unprecedented pace.

The occupation army treats civilians who refuse or are unable to evacuate their homes in northern Gaza as terrorists, facing them with killing and direct targeting.

The occupation army has expanded and intensified its military operations to include the Beit Lahiya project and Jabalia camp, demanding that residents, including those in shelters and hospitals, evacuate forcibly.

The forced evacuation order includes Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Beit Lahiya project, which is facing significant challenges due to shortages of blood units and medical supplies, alongside continuous shelling in its vicinity.

Occupation forces have bombed the majority of shelters in Jabalia camp and the town, targeting the displaced to force them to comply with evacuation orders and plans, even while they are responding to those orders.

The occupation army systematically destroys essential life resources by targeting and destroying streets, bakeries, water wells and stations, and agricultural lands, some of which have been replanted.

We have documented the targeting of three farmers in the Al-Shayma area of Beit Lahiya through deliberate bombing by a drone, resulting in their martyrdom.

Occupation forces have destroyed and burned hundreds of homes in northern Gaza, especially in Jabalia camp, over the past 18 days, with the number of martyrs rising to nearly 700 and over a thousand injured, while many victims remain under the rubble of destroyed homes.

We reiterate our call for the United Nations to declare northern Gaza a disaster zone, necessitating immediate interventions and compelling “Israel” to stop the genocide there and protect civilians.”

Husam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, said the hospital “will turn into a mass grave in the coming few hours.”

He added, “The martyrs in northern Gaza are buried without shrouds. The wounded are lying in the streets. Due to the overwhelming number of injuries, we are implementing a triage system. The medical staff is extremely exhausted. We are under fire from all directions. We will not leave Kamal Adwan Hospital or the patients.”