Israeli blackouts conceal harrowing massacres amid North Gaza siege
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Civilians, humanitarian workers, medics, and journalists in northern Gaza report that the situation is worsening, significantly hindering life-saving efforts and the ability of journalists to report accurately.
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Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital morgue in Deir al-Balah, Tuesday, October 29, 2024. (AP)
"Israel" has consistently jammed Gaza's phone and internet networks during its year-long genocide against Gaza, which was initiated on October 7, 2023, The Guardian reported. Network outages also occur due to damage to infrastructure or insufficient electricity and fuel for generators.
Civilians, humanitarian workers, medics, and journalists in northern Gaza report that the situation is worsening, significantly hindering life-saving efforts and the ability of journalists to report accurately, as per the piece.
Communication among hospitals, healthcare workers, and aid agencies is becoming sporadic, and ongoing ground fighting has made travel increasingly perilous, complicating the coordination of care and treatment and the accurate collection of casualty data. The Civil Defense suspended its services last Wednesday after Israeli occupation forces attacked their crews, destroying their last fire engine in tank shelling.
Escalating attacks on journalists in Gaza amid telecom blackouts
Telecom blackouts and restrictions on movement are leading to underreporting and delays in conveying the bloodshed and suffering caused by the Israeli recent offensive in northern Gaza.
Compounding these challenges, "Israel" intensified its attacks against journalists in Gaza. Over the weekend, five reporters were killed in Israeli airstrikes, and "Israel" has accused another six journalists of being affiliated with Palestinian Resistance factions, potentially making them targets.
To date, at least 170 journalists have been killed and 86 media facilities destroyed in Gaza, according to a recent report from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.
Fiona O’Brien, UK director of Reporters Without Borders, stated as reported by The Guardian, "We are utterly appalled by the continuing unfounded accusations linking journalists in Gaza to terror groups... Israel publishing documents alleging that is not sufficient proof or a license to kill and puts them at even higher risk."
She added, “There’s been a systematic attempt by Israel to shut down media coverage of Gaza and stop the story from getting out, most obviously by killing journalists. Our investigations show at least 32 were targeted because of their work, but so far, there has been complete impunity.”
IOF set ablaze Kamal Adwan Hospital's last medication storage
For the 27th consecutive day, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have intensified their attacks in northern Gaza, particularly in the Jabalia refugee camp and Beit Lahia, amid an Israeli siege and systematic starvation that have isolated the northern governorate from the rest of Gaza.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that the Israeli army bombed the remaining medical supply store at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
Our correspondent added that Israeli warplanes bombed the upper floors of Kamal Adwan Hospital, resulting in the destruction of life-saving medical supplies and equipment received just five days ago from the World Health Organization.
Earlier, he noted that the IOF had targeted Kamal Adwan Hospital, leading to a complete halt of surgical services due to the relentless Israeli assaults.
Simultaneously, Israeli tanks opened fire on the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, according to Palestinian media.
Our correspondent reported that intense Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling targeted civilian homes in Jabalia and Beit Lahia, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.
Among the martyrs was Jihad Akram Qadous, a prominent volleyball player for the Shabab Jabalia Club and Al-Sadaqa Clubs, who was killed in the Israeli bombardment in northern Gaza.
In Gaza City and central Gaza, Israeli artillery shelling struck the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Tal al-Hawa, and the eastern parts of al-Shujaiya, as well as al-Sabra, the Nuseirat, and northern al-Bureij and al-Maghazi.
Israeli artillery shelled the area around al-Khalidi Mosque and the intelligence headquarters in northwestern Gaza City, according to our correspondent.
Several casualties and injuries were reported in an Israeli strike on the tents of forcibly displaced people in the al-Bassa area of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
An Israeli airstrike also targeted agricultural lands in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Additionally, Israeli occupation forces continue to occupy and close the crossings into Gaza, preventing the travel of the injured and sick for treatment and blocking the entry of humanitarian aid into the region.
Civil Defense in Gaza: IOF target emergency responders
The Civil Defense in Gaza reported that IOF "open fire on anyone who tries to approach a vehicle belonging to us that they seized in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza."
They stated that Civil Defense operations have been forcibly suspended for the ninth consecutive day in all areas of northern Gaza due to ongoing Israeli targeting and aggression, leaving thousands of civilians without humanitarian or medical care.
The Civil Defense called on humanitarian organizations, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene urgently to allow their teams to fulfill their humanitarian duties.
It is worth noting that the total death toll in Gaza on the 390th day of the genocide rose to 43,163 martyrs and 101,510 injuries.
