Some foreign nationals able to leave Gaza for 1st time since war started
Palestinians try to pull a young girl out of the rubble of a building that was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.The United Nations human rights office said on Wednesday it was concerned that Israeli airstrikes on Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp could amount to war crimes.
"Given the high number of civilian casualties [and] the scale of destruction following Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp, we have serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes," the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Early Thursday morning, Gaza's Hamas-run government media office said Israeli attacks on the refugee camp, both Tuesday and Wednesday, have killed at least 195 Palestinians. Some 120 were still missing under the rubble, and at least 777 more were wounded, the office said in a statement.
For the second day in a row, Israeli airstrikes hit apartment buildings on Wednesday in the refugee camp, which is near Gaza City, causing many deaths and injuries, the government said.
Al Jazeera television, which is still reporting from northern Gaza, aired footage of devastation and of several wounded people, including children, being brought to a nearby hospital.
On Tuesday, a barrage of airstrikes levelled apartment buildings in the refugee camp
A man reacts as people search for casualties a day after Israeli strikes on houses in the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern GazaThe Israeli military later issued a statement saying its fighter jets had struck a Hamas command and control complex in Jabalia "based on precise intelligence," killing the head of the Islamist group's anti-tank missile unit, Muhammad A'sar.
"Hamas deliberately builds its terror infrastructure under, around and within civilian buildings, intentionally endangering Gazan civilians," the statement said.
Israel said Tuesday's strike, which targeted senior Hamas military leader Ibrahim Biari, destroyed a militant command centre and an underground tunnel network, and killed dozens of other fighters.
Military spokesperson Lt.-Col. Jonathan Conricus said Biari had also been a key planner of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, and that the apartment buildings collapsed only because the underground Hamas complex had been destroyed.
Neither side's account could be independently confirmed.
One Canadian reported to have left Gaza
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said it is "aware of reports" of a Canadian citizen crossing from Gaza to Egypt after the Rafah border crossing opened on Wednesday to allow hundreds of foreign passport holders to leave the besieged territory for the first time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war more than three weeks ago.
GAC said the individual crossed the border "with a third party," but it could not share more information "due to privacy considerations."
Canada was not included in the first group allowed to leave the besieged Palestinian territory since the latest Israel-Hamas war began.
According to the federal government, there are more Canadians in the Gaza Strip than there are foreign nationals from many other countries.
CBC News saw a list from the Palestinian border authority of names potentially in line to leave Gaza on Wednesday. The list includes foreign nationals from several countries and non-governmental organizations, but no Canadians.
A government source with direct knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said Canada is pushing Egypt, Israel and Qatar to put Canadians on the next approved lists. But it's unclear when Canadians will be able to leave.
Crowds have gathered at the crossing at different times in recent weeks but have not been allowed out due to disagreements among Egypt, Israel and Hamas.
But an agreement appeared to have been reached on Wednesday. The Palestinian crossing authority said more than 400 foreign passport holders would be permitted to leave for Egypt, as would some wounded people.
Dozens of people could be seen entering the Rafah crossing — the only one currently operating — and ambulances carrying wounded Palestinians exited on the Egyptian side.
More than 80 Palestinians were being brought from Gaza to Egypt on Wednesday for medical treatment. Ambulances were seen entering the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side, and a field hospital has been set up in the nearby town of Sheikh Zuweid.
Egypt has said it will not accept an influx of Palestinian refugees because of fears Israel will not allow them to return to Gaza after the war.
0 Comments