GAZA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced on Saturday that they had killed and injured members of a 15-person Israeli patrol by detonating a powerful explosive device in northern Gaza City.

In a press statement, the Brigades said that their forces targeted the Israeli patrol as it attempted to raid a house west of the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza.

Members of the patrol were either killed or injured, the statement said, without providing further details. The Israeli army has not yet commented on the incident.

In separate statements, the Brigades claimed that their forces had shelled a gathering of Israeli troops east of the Jabalia camp with mortar fire, and targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with a missile in the Tawam area north of Gaza City.

The Brigades did not mention the casualties of the two attacks.

These developments came amid a large-scale operation by the Israeli army in Jabalia and surrounding areas for about a week, along with a blockade imposed on the residents there.

On Oct. 6, the Israeli army's spokesman Avichai Adraee announced that the Jabalia area had been "encircled." He explained that the operation was based on prior intelligence indicating the presence of armed elements and infrastructure, along with efforts by Hamas to rebuild its militant capabilities.

For its part, the Civil Defense Authority in Gaza warned on Saturday that 200,000 Palestinians in Jabalia face the risk of death either from Israeli shelling or from hunger and thirst, amid a land blockade that has been ongoing for the seventh consecutive day.

Spokesman Mouhammed Bassil said that the Israeli army "has not allowed medical teams and civil defense personnel to obtain fuel and medical supplies, which negatively impacts the situation of the besieged citizens."

Bassil called on international organizations to fulfill their humanitarian duty to protect the residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) warned that the escalating violence in northern Gaza is "having a disastrous impact on food security for thousands of Palestinian families," noting that the main crossings into the north have been closed and no food aid has entered since Oct. 1.

In a statement, the WFP said food distribution points, as well as kitchens and bakeries in northern Gaza, have been forced to shut down due to airstrikes, military ground operations and evacuation orders. The only functioning bakery in the area, supported by the WFP, caught fire after being hit by an explosive munition. Enditem

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