Israel and Hamas at war, day 25 | Strike on refugee camp: “it felt like the end of the world”

An air attack carried out by Israeli aircraft on Tuesday on the Jabaliya refugee camp with the aim of eliminating a Hamas leader may have left dozens dead, the Hamas Health Ministry said.

The medical director of a nearby hospital said hundreds of people were injured by the shooting and dozens more were killed. Witnesses said children were carrying other injured children inside the camp.

Around twenty buildings were destroyed. According to Hamas, dozens of people are under the rubble. Images show two huge craters dug by the strikes.

Israel confirmed this attack, indicating that Ibrahim Biari, the targeted Hamas leader, was among the main organizers of the Palestinian group’s attack on Israel on October 7.

“A large number of terrorists” who were with this Hamas commander were killed, said the IDF, which added that “the strike damaged Hamas command and control in the region.” Hamas responded by saying the attack constituted a “hate crime against women, children and civilians in the camp.”

“I was waiting in line to buy bread when seven or eight missiles fired by an F-16 plane fell on the camp,” said refugee Mohammad Ibrahim in an interview with CNN. “It felt like the end of the world. »

This strike, one of the key elements of the 25^e day of the war, came as the IDF further accentuates its advance inside the territory of Gaza, which “will be a cemetery for the Israeli army,” promised Hamas.

In the opinion of Oded Haklai, professor at Queen’s University in Kingston and director of the Center for the Study of Democracy and Diversity, the conflict promises to be a long one.

“Israel wants to achieve two goals: to free all the hostages and to dismantle all of Hamas’ military and political capabilities,” he said. But the biggest challenge it faces is underground, where Hamas facilities are located. In the tunnels, Hamas has a very clear advantage and Israel fears losing many people there. »

“The analogy I make is to recall the case of Mariupol,” says retired lieutenant-colonel Rémi Landry, citing this Ukrainian city that the Russians managed to take after enormous efforts.

“There are, however, two differences,” adds Mr. Landry, associate professor at the School of Applied Politics at the University of Sherbrooke. Hamas is very well prepared and the tunnels are probably very deep and difficult to destroy. Additionally, the Israelis tend to destroy everything, and it’s another challenge to fight in ruins. »

The IDF also announced the death of two of its soldiers during the day, where we also learned of the death of two French children, the Quai d’Orsay reported.

Guterres alarmed

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed” by the intensification of the war and an escalation in the number of civilian casualties. In a statement, he said he was “dismayed” by reports that two thirds of those killed in Gaza (8,525 according to Hamas) are women and children.

Since the start of the conflict, the UN has watched what is happening with its hands tied.

“With the United States’ strong support for Israel, the Security Council is blocked,” summarizes Jane Boulden, assistant professor in the department of political studies at Queen’s University. They make sure that anything not in favor of Israel is curbed. This is how the Security Council was created. If one of the five permanent members opposes a resolution because it does not correspond to their interests, everything stops. »

Hostages and injured Palestinians

Hamas also announced that it would release a number of foreign hostages in the coming days, without giving further details.

In Egypt, medical sources said that 81 seriously injured Palestinians would be evacuated to this country this Wednesday through the Rafah border crossing. On condition of anonymity, an Egyptian official added that a “field hospital of 1,300 square meters was set up in Cheikh Zoueid”, about ten kilometers from Rafah.

Demonstration at Congress

“Save the children of Gaza,” dozens of demonstrators said Tuesday morning in Washington during a hearing held by a Senate committee where two senior officials from the Biden administration were pleading for the adoption of aid of 105 billion US dollars. for Ukraine, Israel and a strengthening of American borders.

Their hands painted blood red, these demonstrators demonstrated loudly, shouting at politicians “Shame on you”, “Palestinians are not animals” and “Save the children of Gaza”.

Sitting opposite members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Secretaries of Defense (Lloyd Austin) and Foreign Affairs (Antony Blinken) waited for the demonstrators to be evacuated by the Capitol Police before delivering their testimony.

MM. Blinken and Austin said separating aid to Ukraine and aid to Israel would “encourage America’s enemies.”

In Congress, both parties agree to link the two envelopes, but in the House of Representatives, several Republicans are opposed to extending aid to Ukraine. New House Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed a bill offering $14.3 billion to Israel, but nothing to Ukraine. This one is still debated.

With the New York TimesReuters, CNN, Guardian and Agence France-Presse