Over 640 Gazans Killed in 17 Days As Another Israeli Genocide Unfolds

The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry issued a grim statement on Sunday, describing the situation in northern Gaza as “genocide unfolding in full view of the world.”

The ministry accused the Israeli military of cornering civilians into “a circle of certain death,” where residents are forced to flee or face lethal bombardment. It also criticized the international community for failing to prevent what it described as a “war of extermination,” saying this inaction had emboldened Israel’s campaign.

Reporting from Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera’s Tarez Abu Azzoum said people in northern Gaza are trapped without access to essential supplies. “Food, water, and medicine have run out,” he said, adding that the most intense strikes have focused on northern areas like the Jabalia refugee camp.

Palestinian women fleeing the region reported that Israeli forces were detaining and arresting men at checkpoints, further compounding the crisis.

Abu Azzoum also noted that rescue teams recovered the bodies of five Palestinians killed in Rafah, while at least 18 others were killed and several injured in a shelling on Jabalia. Two additional casualties were reported in the as-Saftawi area northwest of Gaza City.

At Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, where many wounded have been brought from the north, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili described the situation as “unimaginable.”

He recounted that civilians fetching water were targeted, and a sheltering school in Beit Lahiya was attacked, causing multiple fatalities and injuries.

The United Nations Human Rights Office reported that Israeli forces demolished homes and struck at least three UNRWA schools in Jabalia on Monday, expressing concern that Israel’s actions in the northern region could amount to the destruction of the Palestinian population through displacement and death.

Since October last year, over 42,600 people have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and approximately 99,800 have been injured, though officials warn the real figures could be higher due to uncounted victims buried beneath the rubble.

Despite Israel’s earlier claims of defeating Hamas in northern Gaza, it launched a fresh offensive in the area, which the UN and Palestinian rights groups fear is part of a strategy to depopulate the region.

Humanitarian agencies reported that aid deliveries have struggled to reach northern Gaza amid heavy bombardment.

Sam Rose, a senior official with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, described the conditions as “absolutely unimaginable.” He told Al Jazeera from Khan Younis that civilians have endured 12 months of conflict, repeated displacement, and severe shortages of food and water.

“The past two weeks have seen an escalation in military operations, making it almost impossible to assess the full extent of the devastation,” Rose said. He estimated that around 175,000 people remain stranded in the north under catastrophic conditions.

Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said Israeli forces were raiding homes and forcibly removing residents.

“People are desperately calling for help,” she said. “Despite their efforts to document their suffering online, they remain isolated and trapped, with no food, aid, or relief in sight as the attacks continue.”