Women fleeing Jabalia amid escalating violence
Women in Jabalia, a town in the Gaza Strip, were filmed fleeing on foot on Monday morning after tanks advanced into the area. The women, who spoke to Reuters news agency, said they decided to leave after seeing the tanks approaching.
“The tank was behind the school classrooms,” said Umm Jumma. “We did not want to leave until we saw it with our own eyes.”
Another woman expressed the uncertainty and fear felt by many in the area, saying, “We have been displaced from one place to the next. And now we have left. We don’t know where to go.”
Reports from Hamas-affiliated Safa news agency indicated clashes between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli tanks near UN-run schools being used as shelters by civilians. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported casualties from Israeli strikes in Jabalia, with ambulance crews recovering the bodies of 20 civilians.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not immediately comment on the situation. The IDF had previously announced operations in Jabalia and the Zeitoun area to target Hamas infrastructure and operatives.
The escalating violence has led to more displacement and fear for thousands of families in northern Gaza, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa. Hamas has accused Israel of escalating brutal attacks in the region.
The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas launched a cross-border attack on southern Israel, resulting in casualties and hostages. The ongoing violence has claimed the lives of thousands in Gaza, with no immediate resolution in sight.
