Thousands of people are unable to leave northern Gaza’s Jabalya refugee camp despite evacuation warnings from the Israeli military, due to gunfire and strikes around evacuation routes, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on Friday.
CNN has previously reported incidents of evacuees from Jabalya coming under fire. One man said he and his family fled their home in Jabalya due to continuous bombing in the area, and that he and other civilians were shot at when they went back to retrieve supplies.
Five MSF staff members are currently trapped at the camp, according to a post on X from the organization, which is also known as Doctors Without Borders.
“Nobody is allowed to get in or out, anyone who tries is getting shot,” MSF project coordinator Sarah Vuylsteke added, in a post on MSF’s official X account.
Haydar, a driver working for the organization who is trapped at the camp, was also quoted by MSF describing his fear of attempting to flee the dangerous area:
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on allegations that its troops are firing near evacuation routes and that MSF workers are trapped.
Some background: The Israel Defense Forces launched its latest ground operation in Jabalya on Sunday, where it said it was encircling the area after seeing signs of Hamas rebuilding, despite a year of fighting and intense strikes on the area.
The IDF told residents across several parts of northern Gaza, including Jabalya, to evacuate on Monday, warning that it is “currently operating with great force in the area.”
