Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp 'bombed again' - report

Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza was bombed again on Wednesday, according to the Qatar-funded news channel Al-Jazeera.

Footage published by the channel shows people picking through rubble and milling around among ruined buildings in the camp.

It comes the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) bombed the site on Tuesday, in an attack Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said killed at least 50 people.

Israel said it had been targeting a Hamas command centre and a network of tunnels underneath the camp.

The IDF claimed the attacks had killed a number of Hamas militants, including their commander of operations in northern Gaza.

A child looks out at buildings that were destroyed during Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday in Khan Yunis, Gaza (Image: Getty)

Dr Atef Al-Kahlot, director of the Indonesian Hospital where victims were taken afterwards, backed the Hamas estimate, saying “more than 50 people have been killed” after Monday’s strike.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a Twitter/X post on Wednesday he believed the Rafah crossing would open later in the day, allowing British nationals to flee Gaza and enter Egypt.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden argued in the wake of the first bombing of the Jabalia refugee camp that Israel was acting lawfully.

He told Sky News: “This is the reality of the conflict with an organisation like Hamas.

“Hamas is a terrorist organisation that has murdered in cold blood over 1,000 innocent Israeli men, women and children, and now seeks to hide amongst the civilian population. This is a very difficult conflict.

READ MORE: David Lammy slammed for 'reprehensible' comments on Gaza refugee camp bombing

“We continue to urge the Israeli government to abide by international law. I believe that the Israeli government is continuing to do so against an enemy that hides among civilians.

“It is the terrible nature of this appalling conflict.”

But First Minister Humza Yousaf – whose family remain trapped in Gaza – accused Israel of having “blatant disregard for human life” and reiterated the SNP’s call for a ceasefire.

He tweeted: “I am sorry to those innocent men, women and children in Jabalia Refugee Camp that the world could not protect you.

“This blatant disregard for human life must be condemned unequivocally.

“Do not let any more children die. We need an immediate ceasefire, nothing less.”

A spokesperson for Yousaf also confirmed he was in talks with the Foreign Secretary about the evacuation of British nationals from Gaza. The official said: “We welcome that the Rafah crossing looks set to be opened for a number of foreign nationals.

“This is obviously a developing situation but our understanding at this stage is that UK nationals are not at present included in this initial list of countries whose nationals can cross.

READ MORE: Humza Yousaf's family 'remain trapped' as crossing out of Gaza opened

“The First Minister has been in contact with the Foreign Secretary this morning. We continue to liaise with the UK Government and urge them to work with the Egyptian authorities so that all UK nationals can urgently leave Gaza as quickly as possible.”

They added that Yousaf’s in-laws, Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, remained in the besieged strip but had no clean drinking water.

“The First Minister’s wife, Nadia, spoke to her mother this morning,” the spokesperson said.

“The family remains trapped in Gaza without clean drinking water, and rapidly diminishing supplies.”

Meanwhile, the media freedom charity Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has accused both Israel and Hamas of committing potential war crimes and said 34 journalists had been killed in the war.

Christophe Deloire, RSF’s director-general said: “The scale, seriousness and recurring nature of international crimes targeting journalists, particularly in Gaza, calls for a priority investigation by the [International Criminal Court] prosecutor.”