By Yiannis Damellos
As displaced Gazans head south along a coastal road, and the Israeli military gears up for a major new operation in the territory's north, the Red Cross warned on Saturday that any Israeli attempt to evacuate Gaza City would put thousands of residents at risk. At the same time, Gaza's civil defence agency said that since dawn, Israeli attacks had killed 66 people in the territory already devastated by nearly 23 months of war.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric stated, "It is impossible that a mass evacuation of Gaza City could ever be done in a way that is safe and dignified under the current conditions." The critical state of shelter, healthcare, and nutrition in Gaza makes evacuation not only unfeasible but incomprehensible, she added.
The pressure is mounting on Israel to cease its offensive in Gaza, where most of the population has been displaced at least once, and the United Nations has declared a famine. Despite international calls for an end to hostilities, the Israeli military is poised to seize Gaza City's largest areas and relocate its inhabitants.
While the military has not called for an immediate evacuation, the Israeli defense ministry agency COGAT announced plans to prepare for the "moving of the population southward for their protection."
The civil defense agency's spokesman, Mahmud Bassal, reported that 66 people had been killed in Israeli bombings since dawn, although the Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the casualty figures. Due to media restrictions and access difficulties, independent verification of the reported tolls remains challenging.
Bassal noted that 12 individuals were killed when an airstrike hit tents occupied by displaced families near a mosque in the al-Nasr area, west of Gaza City. Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos, with children among those killed.
The civil defense agency stated that additional fatalities occurred as people gathered near food distribution centers across the region. A journalist on the northern edge of Gaza City reported being ordered to evacuate, citing increasingly perilous conditions with gunfire and explosions nearby.
Residents like Abu Mohammed Kishko from the Zeitoun neighborhood described relentless bombardment, saying, "It didn't stop for a second, and we didn't sleep all night."
Opposition to the government's war plans is growing within Israel, where many fear that escalating the conflict could endanger the lives of remaining hostages. The Israeli prime minister's office confirmed the identification of a second hostage recovered from Gaza this week, reinforcing the urgency of the situation.
Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, warned at the Tel Aviv rally that any decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to occupy Gaza would be tantamount to the execution of hostages.
Earlier in August, Hamas had agreed to a framework for a truce and hostage release, but Israel has not yet officially responded. As ground operations continue in Zeitoun, the Israeli military reported that two soldiers were wounded by an explosive device.
Hamas's October 2023 attack, which initiated the current conflict, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 47 are still believed to be held in Gaza.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has resulted in the deaths of at least 63,371 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable. The question remains: for those in Gaza, is it safer to leave or to stay?
No comments:
Post a Comment