Death, Displacement, Starvation: What Is Happening In North Gaza?

Israel has launched a major operation in northern Gaza, which includes the areas of Jabalia, the Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahia, the Tawam area, Attatrah, and the Saftawi region. As the Israeli army escalates its assaults, it has ordered the entire civilian population to evacuate while simultaneously cutting off food aid to those who remain.

Israeli authorities state that they issued the latest evacuation orders for the north—four between October 1 and October 12—to provide civilians with a chance to flee to safety as the military targets Hamas. 

However, Human Rights Watch claims there is mounting evidence that the Israeli military is unlawfully seeking to force civilians out of northern Gaza, leaving them with no safe place to go, no safe way to get there, and no apparent plans to allow them to return.

This operation has impacted approximately 400,000 people, around 20 per cent of Gaza's population, including the elderly, disabled, hospitalised individuals, and those previously displaced. Many have no place to go and express doubts about their safety in the "so-called humanitarian zones" designated by the Israeli military.

Within twenty days of the operation's commencement in northern Gaza, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported that 820 people have been killed so far, in addition to many others trapped under the rubble.

Last Working Hospital Attacked

Israeli forces stormed the “last operational” hospital in the besieged northern Gaza on Friday after destroying a densely packed refugee camp in a bombing campaign that killed scores of Palestinians. They ordered patients to move down to the main courtyard, the Wafa news agency reported, as they conducted mass arrests.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed that the organisation has lost contact with the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, which was overflowing with almost 200 patients amid the offensive in nearby Jabalia. 

“This development is deeply disturbing given the number of patients being served and people sheltering there,” he added

According to a statement from the Palestinian health ministry, “Hundreds of patients, medical staff, and some displaced individuals who sought refuge from ongoing shelling have been detained.” 

"No food, medicines and medical supplies necessary to save the lives of the wounded and patients in the hospital have been supplied or provided. The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic in every sense of the word."

The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described Israel’s siege of northern Gaza as the “darkest moment” of Israel’s year of war on gaza and suggested that Israeli forces may be violating the UN’s Genocide Convention as reports emerge of Israel seizing a hospital in the region.

“Unimaginably, the situation is getting worse by the day. The Israeli Government’s policies and practices in northern Gaza risk emptying the area of all Palestinians,” said Türk. “We are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes, including potentially extending to crimes against humanity.”

North Gaza Is Starving

The humanitarian situation in northern Gaza has reached a critical point, where an already starving population is now completely cut off from food supplies, with no confirmed deliveries since October 1.

On October 12, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced that food distribution points, kitchens, and bakeries in northern Gaza have been forced to close due to ongoing airstrikes, military ground operations, and evacuation orders. The sole functioning bakery in the region caught fire after being hit by an explosive munition.

On October 21, the United Nations reported that only a “trickle” of food aid had entered northern Gaza in the week prior.

Meanwhile, the US has warned its ally to urgently boost humanitarian access or face potential cuts to military assistance.

In an editorial published on October 22, Israeli liberal newspaper Haaretz, known for its criticism of the Netanyahu government, suggested that there was mounting evidence that Israel is now pursuing a policy of siege and starvation to force the complete evacuation of the civilian population of northern Gaza. 

The ‘General’s Plan’

There are growing fears that the Israeli military's operations in northern Gaza may pave the way for the return of settlers to the region. 

Many Palestinians believe the military is enacting the “Generals’ Plan,” which would result in the forced displacement of Palestinians. Under this plan, the Israeli army would declare the area a closed military zone, denying Palestinians access to their homes and land.

The Israeli military has denied the existence of such a plan. 

The term ‘General’s Plan’ is attributed to retired Major General Giora Eiland, a former head of national security in Israel. This strategy proposes the mass relocation of the population in northern Gaza to areas south of the Netzarim corridor, with a siege enforced on those who stay behind.

At a conference on October 22 attended by members of the ruling Likud Party, including several ministers from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir argued that “encouraging emigration” of Palestinian residents would be the “most ethical” solution to the ongoing conflict. 

Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich remarked to journalists en route to the conference that the Gaza Strip is “part of the Land of Israel,” and that “without settlements, there is no security”.

The Gaza Strip was evacuated of settlers in 2005 under then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Disengagement Plan, which dismantled 21 settlements and relocated approximately 8,000 settlers. Many of those displaced vowed to return one day.

Today, in northern Gaza, people find themselves trapped between the threats of military attacks and starvation, with many fearing that if they flee their homes, they may not be allowed to return. A majority of them are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled or were forcibly displaced from their homes in 1948 and have never been permitted to return.