Shillong, November 2: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has verified that a consecutive airstrike on the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza, the largest in the Hamas-controlled region, was indeed due to an airstrike.
In a statement released late Wednesday night, the IDF reported that its jets conducted an airstrike on a Hamas command and control facility in Jabaliya’s Falluja neighborhood, as per CNN.
The military further confirmed that the airstrike resulted in the elimination of Hamas terrorists.
The IDF emphasized that Hamas intentionally locates its terrorist infrastructure beneath, around, and within civilian structures, knowingly putting Gazan civilians at risk.
The statement also reiterated the IDF’s call for residents in the area to evacuate and for civilians in northern Gaza to move to the southern part of the enclave.
This marks the second consecutive day of an airstrike on the refugee camp, with videos on social media showing extensive damage, including a substantial crater in Falluja.
Atef Al Kahlout, the director of Gaza’s Indonesian hospital, informed CNN that at least 80 bodies were brought to the facility, with more still being recovered from the debris. The majority of casualties were women and children, and hundreds of people sustained injuries.
The initial Israeli strike on the Jabaliya refugee camp on Tuesday also resulted in a significant number of casualties, according to eyewitnesses and medical personnel on-site.
Israel defended its actions by stating that the strike targeted and eliminated a high-ranking Hamas commander. However, Hamas vehemently denied the presence of one of its leaders in the camp.