Israel turns Jabalia into ‘ghost town’ amid massive destruction

The Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip has become a "ghost town" with around 70% of homes and buildings completely destroyed in Israel's deadly onslaught in the area, Israeli media said on Sunday.

"As far as the eye can see lie miles and miles of destroyed homes. It's hard to look away from the devastated remains of Jabalia's refugee camp in northern Gaza," Amos Harel, a military affairs analyst, writes in Haaretz newspaper.

The Israeli army estimates that 70% of the refugee camp's buildings were completely destroyed.

"I could see that even the few buildings that are still standing were badly damaged," Harel said.

Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza since Oct. 5 to allegedly prevent the Palestinian group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no sufficient humanitarian aid including food, medicine, and fuel has been allowed into the area, leaving the remaining population on the verge of imminent famine.

"The IDF (army) operated here twice before, in December 2023 and May 2024. But this time, the camp was taken apart," Amos said.

"Jabalia has become a ghost town. Outside, you mainly see pack after pack of stray dogs roaming around and hunting for scraps of food."

The Israeli onslaught in northern Gaza was the latest episode in a brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 45,200 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.