100,000 trapped in Israeli assault on northern Gaza
The Palestinian emergency service said 100,000 civilians are trapped in northern Gaza on October 28th as Israel intensifies its offensive, according to the Arab News via Reuters.
Palestinians have been trapped in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, without medical or food supplies as Israeli tanks move further in. Gaza’s health ministry said an Israeli airstrike killed at least 19 people also on October 28th, 13 of them in the north of the strip. The Palestinian Civil Service said its operations had ground to a halt due to the Israeli assault in the north.
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The three hospitals in the north of Gaza said they were hardly operating, while at least two had been damaged by Israeli fire and had run out of medical, food and fuel stocks. At least one doctor and two children who were patients died in these hospitals in the last week due to a lack of treatment.
Gaza’s health ministry said on October 28th that there was only one of around 70 medical staff who was left at Kamal Adwan hospital after the rest were “detained and expelled” by Israel.
Some have accused Israel of attempting to implement what has been termed the “generals’ plan,” which was presented to Netanyahu by retired military officials last month. “The plan suggests giving Palestinians in northern Gaza an ultimatum to leave and then declaring the area a closed military zone. Those who remain would be considered combatants and therefore legitimate targets, it says. Water, food, fuel and medical supplies would be completely cut,” according to The Guardian.
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Meanwhile the US, Egypt and Qatar said on October 27th that they have resumed talks to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. Egypt has proposed an initial two-day truce to swap four Israeli hostages in Gaza for some Palestinians jailed in Israel, to be followed by talks on a permanent secession of hostilities within 10 days, although Netanyahu rejected the proposal.
Reuters, The Guardian
