Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian artist Mahasen Al Khatib in Gaza

Gulf Today Report

An Israeli airstrike in Jabalia camp killed prominent Palestinian artist Mahasen Al Khatib at her home, eyewitnesses said.

A video of Mahasen speaking about resilience went viral after Israeli forces bombed her home in Jabalia camp, northern Gaza.

Hours before her death, the artist shared her work in memory of 19-year-old Sha’ban Al-Dalou, who was burned to death in an Israel attack in a hospital yard, with the note: “Tell me what you’re feeling when you see anybody burning….”

She was one of the 21 women killed on Sunday night in Israeli attacks on Jabalia, Gaza.

On Aug,28, the young artist had an interview with Moroccan doctor Hassan El-Halkhalk, thanking him for his volunteer work in Gaza and gifting him a portrait she had prepared for him.

Israeli officials said evacuation orders were aimed at separating Hamas fighters from civilians and denied there was any systematic plan to clear civilians out of Jabalia or other northern areas.

In Jabalia, residents said Israeli forces besieged several shelters housing displaced families before they stormed them and detained dozens of men. Footage on social media, which reporters could not immediately verify, showed dozens of Palestinian men sitting on the ground next to a tank, while others were led by a soldier to a gathering site.

Residents and medical officials said Israeli forces were bombing houses and besieging hospitals, preventing medical and food supplies from entering to force them to leave the camp.

Health officials said they refused orders by the Israeli army to evacuate the hospital or leave the patients, many in critical condition, unattended.

"Hospitals in northern Gaza suffer from stark shortages of medical supplies and manpower and are overwhelmed by the number of casualties," said Hussam Abu Safiya.

"We are now trying to decide who among the wounded we needed to attend to first, and several wounded died because we could not deal with them," he said.