Israeli forces surround largest Gaza refugee camp amid escalating conflict

New Delhi, Dec 5: Israel has declared the encirclement of the Jabalia refugee camp, formerly the largest in Gaza, as its army intensifies its incursion into the northern Gaza site. Israel alleges the camp has been used as a base by the militant group Hamas.

Before the outbreak of the conflict, Jabalia stood as the largest among eight refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported over 116,011 registered refugees in the camp, established in the 1948 war.

Covering an area of 1.4 sq km, the camp became a target for an Israeli airstrike in late October, resulting in the reported death of a senior Hamas commander and the collapse of underground infrastructure.

Recent reports suggest that Israel's military might utilize large pumps to flood seawater from the Mediterranean into tunnels utilized by Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.

The tunnel network is huge and believed to be around 500 kilometres long.

While Israel continued its bombardment of the southern Gaza Strip, including the partially evacuated city of Khan Younis, a "tactical pause" was observed until 1400 hours local time in Rafah, near the southern border, to facilitate aid entry.

Unicef asserts the absence of "safe zones" in Gaza, with the World Health Organization warning of a deteriorating situation. The collapse of the week-long truce agreement between Israel and Hamas is attributed to Hamas's alleged refusal to release women hostages, according to the U.S. State Department.

The United Nations issued a warning of potential mass relocations in Gaza, despite the U.S. urging Israel to avoid further displacements. The Israeli military's social media publication of evacuation orders for areas northeast of Khan Younis sparks controversy, with the UN denouncing the notion of safe zones in Gaza.

The conflict has taken a severe toll on journalists, with the Committee to Protect Journalists reporting the deadliest month since records began in 1992, citing 63 journalists and media workers killed.

In response to the escalating situation, Israel updated its travel warnings, raising threat levels in numerous European and South American nations, including the UK, and advised reconsidering travel to various African and Central Asian countries.

Gaza's health ministry reports over 15,800 casualties in Israel's retaliatory campaign against the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which claimed 1,200 lives and took around 240 people hostage.

Fresh Sanctions Target Hamas Leaders

France has announced new sanctions by freezing the assets of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, as part of an intensified international effort. The decree published in the Official Journal stipulates the freezing of Sinwar's funds and economic resources for six months from December 5. The extent of Sinwar's assets in France remains unclear.

This move follows the UK's imposition of sanctions on senior leaders and financiers of the Palestinian militant group last month, aligning with similar measures by the United States.