Gaza: at least 21 dead in a fire at the Jabaliya camp
The scene of the fire, at the Jabaliya refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, this Thursday, November 17, 2022. AFP - MAHMUD HAMS
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At least 21 Palestinians, including children, were killed on Thursday (November 17th) in a building in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, according to officials in the Palestinian enclave.
The causes of the accident, which occurred in the evening, have not been determined.
Hamas authorities said fuel was stored on site.
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The fire was brought under control, according to Hamas, in power in Gaza.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has declared a day of national mourning for the victims, according to an official's tweet.
The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, has also asked Israel to open the Erez crossing in order to be able to access, if necessary, the wounded outside the Gaza Strip, which has been blocked for years.
COGAT, the body of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in charge of civilian activities in the Palestinian Territories, assured AFP that Israel would offer "
if necessary, all necessary assistance through the passage of Erez
".
Over time, like many Palestinian camps, Jabaliya has seen buildings and buildings grow to the point where it has come to resemble a locality, in a Gaza Strip home to 2.3 million people.
The economy of the Palestinian enclave is bloodless.
With electricity supplies scarce, house fires are common.
Residents are looking for alternative sources for their daily lives.
If Gaza received on average twelve hours of electricity per day, against only seven hours five years ago, according to the UN, the dangers are present for example in winter when inhabitants burn coal for heating.
With agencies
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Palestinian territories
Gaza
Refugees