Over 770 killed in 19 days of Israeli siege on Gaza’s Jabalia: Gov’t media office

It said in a statement that more than 200 civilians, including women, have been “kidnapped”, and dozens more remain missing amid communications issues.

“We express our fear that they may have been executed in the field, as has been done on many previous occasions,” it added.

More than 100,000 wounded and sick people in the northern parts of Gaza are in “urgent need” of assistance, which remains elusive due to the Israeli military’s destruction of the health system and four hospitals in the area, according to the office.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern Wednesday for civilians suffering under Israel’s siege in north Gaza.

“People suffering under the ongoing Israeli siege in North Gaza are rapidly exhausting all available means for their survival,” Guterres wrote on X.

Emphasizing the need to protect civilians and ensure they receive the necessary humanitarian assistance, he reminded Israel of its obligations under international law, saying “that’s what international humanitarian law requires”.

The Israeli army has intensified its assault in northern Gaza amid a suffocating siege that has left tens of thousands of people without food and water.

The onslaught, which began on Oct. 5, is the latest episode in Israel’s brutal offensive that has killed nearly 42,800 people, mostly women and children, and injured more than 100,400 since last October following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced nearly the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.