Photo credit: the nightly
Israeli tanks went deeper into Jabala in northern Gaza on Tuesday and ordered the residents to leave while pummeling the historic Palestinian refugee camp from above.
The New Arab reports that Palestinian medics said casualties had been reported in Jabalia, but they were unable to reach areas under fire.
Jabalia has been placed under siege by Israeli forces over the last few days. Meanwhile, the troops were ramping up attacks on the north of the enclave at unprecedented levels.
Chris Gunness, a former spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestine refugees, condemned the “slaughter” in Gaza. He said, “In the last year, we have seen Gaza transform from the world’s largest open-air prison to the world’s largest concentration camp.
“Shame on the UN Security Council, shame on the Israeli leaders who’ve done this, and shame on all of us because what we’ve seen in the last year is a stain on the conscience of humanity.”
Israel has also escalated attacks on Lebanon. It deployed more troops and urged civilians near the Mediterranean to evacuate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that Israeli airstrikes had killed two successors to Hezbollah’s slain leader. He spoke after the deputy leader of Hezbollah left the door open to a negotiated ceasefire.
Lebanese state-run media, the National News Agency, said a series of Israeli strikes on south Beirut on Tuesday had caused “massive destruction” and razed four buildings. The agency also said, “Four adjacent residential buildings collapsed in the Burj al-Barajneh area after the recent Israeli strike.
The Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, said that Israeli attacks on Lebanon are “threatening the entire region.” The death toll is already higher than that of the Israeli war in 2006.
In a similar vein, an Israeli strike on Syria’s capital has killed seven people and left at least eleven others wounded. The strike targeted a residential building in the Mazzeh neighborhood.
