Israel army encircles northern Gaza’s Jabalia camp

Gaza: Israeli forces have surrounded the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.

Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said multiple strikes rocked Jabalia through the night and there were many casualties. Israeli forces have bombarded Jabalia regularly since the conflict in Gaza started, displacing almost all of its residents.

“The troops of the 401st Brigade and the 460th Brigade have successfully encircled the area and are currently continuing to operate in the area,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

Intelligence indicates the “presence of terrorists and terror infrastructure in the area of Jabalia … as well as efforts by Hamas to rebuild its operational capabilities in the area”.

“Prior to and during the operation, the [air force] struck dozens of military targets in the area to assist ground troops.