Jabalia residents 'looking for loved ones' after Israeli strike on refugee camp

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Grey clouds hung over wrecked buildings in the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip after an Israeli strike on Tuesday that killed at least 50 and injured hundreds more.

Residents were seen crying and screaming for their loved ones in the aftermath of the strike, which resulted in significant damage to the area.

At the Indonesian Hospital where the injured were taken, the bodies of those who died were seen wrapped in white sheets and lined up outside.

“My three children are all gone,” Jaber Hmaid said as he broke down in tears. “My God, my God,” he shouted.

The Jabalia residents were the latest victims of more than three weeks of Israeli strikes that have killed more than 8,500 people, most of them women, children and the elderly, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Israel launched retaliatory strikes after Hamas killed more than 1,400 people and seized about 240 hostages in attacks inside Israel on October 7.

The Israeli military said the air strike on Jabalia targeted Ibrahim Biari, a militant commander it described as one of those responsible for the attacks, as well as “numerous other Hamas terrorists”.

“Everyone is looking for their loved ones,” Jabalia resident Ahmed Ali said in a video on social media. “We have lost everything – my house and belongings are gone after last night.

“Only God knows our suffering.”

Israel has warned Gaza residents several times to evacuate from northern areas to the south for safety but has also continued to launch strikes in the south.

Internet and phone services were cut off across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning, leaving residents unable to contact family or call emergency services.

“We can't live any more,” a Jabalia resident said in a video posted on social media.

An official of the International Committee of the Red Cross said the scenes from Jabalia, the largest refugee camp in Gaza with nearly 120,000 people, were deeply distressing.

"These are the most vulnerable communities in Gaza who have been living in difficult conditions and suffering multiple deprivations even before the current escalation," Jessica Moussan, the ICRC's Middle East media adviser, told The National.

Civilians and their essential infrastructure are protected by international humanitarian law, she said.

"The terrible human cost of this conflict is growing by the minute and we call on parties to spare civilians from further harm," Ms Moussan said.

Local reports said the camp came under Israeli strikes again on Wednesday.

Jabalia camp is among the poorest areas in the Gaza Strip and usually home to busy open-air markets.