Israel’s Gaza invasion – Day 25

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Gaza Interior Ministry has said the Israeli airstrike on Jabalia refugee camp resulted in hundreds of casualties, Anadolu Agency 

Israel hit apartment blocks in a residential area of the Jabalia refugee camp, ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozom told a press briefing.

The victims mostly included women and children, he said, adding that Israeli warplanes destroyed the entire residential square known as Block 6.

From the middle of a giant crater that used to be homes in the Jabalia refugee camp, Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Shareef described the scene in front of him, as rescuers desperately dug into the rubble with their bare hands, in footage aired on the network.

“There was a little girl in this place, they are trying their best to reach this little girl,” al-Shareef said. Around him, people were attempting to help those trapped or retrieve bodies. Others were in shock at what had happened.

Jabalia — Gaza’s largest refugee camp

The Jabalia refugee camp, where an Israeli airstrike has killed dozens and injured hundreds, is Gaza’s largest camp.

According to the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees, the densely populated camp is situated in the north of the besieged enclave and covers an area of only 1.4 square kilometres. There are approximately 116,000 registered refugees in the camp.

The camp also houses three UN-run schools, which have been converted into shelters for hundreds of displaced families.

“Overcrowding and a lack of living space characterise Jabalia camp. Shelters are built in close proximity to one another and there is a general lack of recreational and social space. In many cases, residents have had to add extra floors to their shelters to accommodate their families,” the UNRWA says.