2023 Jabalia refugee camp airstrikes

The 2023 Jabalia massacre (Arabic: مجزرة جباليا 2023) on 9 October 2023, was a massacre committed by the Israel Air Force, when they bombed the commercial area in the middle of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on 9 October 2023, the third day of the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood. This bombardment, which was concentrated on a densely populated area, resulted in the deaths of at least 50 Palestinians, mostly civilians. The Palestinian factions active in the Gaza Strip responded to this massacre by launching dozens of rocket barrages towards the towns adjacent to the Strip, and they also targeted the city of Tel Aviv and other cities with more distant barrages, but their response did not result in any deaths on the Israeli side after the latter evacuated most of the residents from the border areas and pushed the rest of them into shelters, in addition to the Iron Dome system stopped most of Gaza's rockets, but not all of them.

Background

Hamas, through its military wing the Qassam Brigades, and other factions in the Gaza Strip, launched an attack on Israel in the early morning hours of 7 October 2023. This battle was called the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa because of its connection to what is happening in Al-Aqsa Mosque in terms of settlement, and oppression of the Palestinians, as expressed by Muhammad Deif, the commander-in-chief of the Al-Qassam Brigades, when he gave the official launch for this operation. During this attack, the Qassam fighters stormed dozens of Israeli towns and settlements near the Gaza Strip. They continued their march into areas beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip by dozens of kilometers after they batted the Israeli army, which increased its forces even more in the southern region and used helicopters, dogs, and heavy weapons to confront the resistance fighters and force them to withdraw.

The massacre at Jabalia Camp

The Israel Air Force launched repeated air raids, starting at 10:45am in the morning, on sites south and east of Gaza City. The most violent bombing was on a popular market in the city of Jabalia shortly after 12:00 at night, where the sounds of explosions were heard from great distances. It was clear that the bombing would leave a large number of victims due to its intensity, and because of the place that was targeted, which is a large and lively popular market, in light of the lack of large markets in Jabalia. Videos broadcast in the minutes after the bombing showed massive destruction, with two large houses completely collapsed, and later videos documented bodies scattered in the street, people trapped under the rubble, and injured people everywhere.

12 October

On 12 October, a second airstrike hit a residential building in Jabalia camp, destroying several apartments and killing people from two families. The Interior Ministry in Gaza reported that 45 people were killed and at least four others were injured. Some of them were taking refuge there after being displaced from Beit Hanoun.

19 October

On 19 October, the camp was hit by a third airstrike, killing 18 refugees.

22 October

The camp was bombed for the fourth time on 22 October, during the intense bombing of Gaza. Several houses were bombed and at least 30 bodies were pulled from the rubble.

31 October

Israeli dropped 6 bombs on a residential neighborhood in Jabalia camp, which led to the deaths of more than 400 Palestinians.

Palestinian response

The resistance factions responded to the Jabalia massacre by about 120 missiles towards the Israeli towns of Ashdod and Ashkelon. Israel's Iron Dome system was able to intercept most of these missiles, but not all of them. Four Israelis were wounded, one critically.

Victims

More than 50 people were killed, most of them civilians, and dozens were wounded. A video clip filmed by a Palestinian on the spot showed the effects of the bombing on the ambulance and its surroundings.