Intense Bombing Shakes Gaza: Dozens Dead and Areas Devastated in Jabalia and Zeitoun

Israeli warplanes launched a series of intense airstrikes yesterday, Tuesday, targeting vast areas of the Gaza Strip, particularly focusing on eastern Jabalia in the northern sector, coinciding with heavy aerial and artillery bombardment that hit the neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Al-Daraj, and Al-Tuffah east of Gaza City, as part of ongoing military escalation.

The Israeli army carried out several airstrikes on the city of Deir al-Balah in the central sector, and also bombed scattered areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, resulting in widespread destruction of civilian homes and properties.

In a related context, the Israeli army opened fire towards gatherings of aid seekers in the Nitsarim area in the central Gaza Strip, in a scene that reflects the depth of the humanitarian tragedy experienced by the residents under siege and the declining international response.

For its part, UNRWA announced that the ongoing war and famine in the Gaza Strip are causing the deaths of 28 children daily, emphasizing that children are the most affected group by the consequences of the conflict that has been ongoing since October 2023.

Israeli strikes continued in various areas of the sector, where the Palestinian Civil Defense announced that 45 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday due to Israeli bombardment, including 11 civilians who died from Israeli army fire near aid distribution centers in the sector.

Mohammed Basil, spokesperson for the Civil Defense, warned that the situation in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods south of Gaza City is "very dangerous and unbearable," pointing out that Civil Defense crews are unable to reach many injuries and victims due to the ongoing Israeli military operations.

The Israeli army had announced on Friday that its ground forces began operations in the Zeitoun area located on the outskirts of Gaza City, as part of ongoing military operations.

The war in the Gaza Strip erupted following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to a tally by Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli data.

In contrast, Israeli attacks and military operations since the start of the war have resulted in the deaths of at least 62,064 people, the majority of whom are civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas.

These figures are considered reliable according to the United Nations.

In a serious indicator of the scale of risks, the United Nations announced yesterday, Tuesday, that 181 relief workers were killed in the Gaza Strip during 2024, out of 383 humanitarian workers who lost their lives worldwide during the same period, a record unprecedented in the history of humanitarian work.