DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli army issued urgent evacuation orders and has significantly increased attacks on high-rise buildings in Gaza City on Saturday, urging Palestinians to flee south in anticipation of an escalating military offensive to seize control of the city of nearly 1 million residents.
Aid organizations are warning that any large-scale evacuations will deepen the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The world’s leading hunger watchdog announced last month that Gaza is officially suffering from famine due to severe restrictions on food aid imposed by Israel.
Many Palestinian families have already endured repeated displacements throughout nearly two years of conflict and are now voicing that they have nowhere left to go. Previous attacks have even targeted tent encampments that were supposed to operate as humanitarian zones.
“There is no safe tent, no safe house, no safe place, no safety at all,” said Nadia Marouf, who recently fled the north of Gaza with her children, only to have their tent destroyed in an airstrike that demolished a 15-story building and surrounding camps.
“Where do I go? We went to the south, there is no space in the south, where can we go?” she asked despairingly.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced that Palestinians were urged to relocate to the designated humanitarian zone, which has been redrawn to encompass the overcrowded area of Muwasi and parts of southern Khan Younis. However, aid groups have raised concerns regarding insufficient shelter, clean water, and food supplies in Muwasi.
The Israeli military has claimed it will provide field hospitals, water lines, and food within this 'humanitarian zone'. In contrast, Hamas has advised civilians to remain in their locations despite the evacuation orders, as many Palestinians are hesitant to uproot their lives once again.
Ala Alfarani, an individual whose tent was destroyed by debris from an Israeli airstrike, expressed, “I can’t walk, I am in pain, and I do not know what to do or where to go.”
Along with widespread structural damage and personal loss, the Israeli military struck two high-rises in Gaza City over the weekend, citing their connections to Hamas militants. The damage caused confusion as residents were given limited time to vacate the premises.
In the course of food distribution at the Zikim crossing between Gaza and Israel, medical officials reported receiving bodies of 11 Palestinians allegedly killed by Israeli forces while attempting to gather food aid. The military has acknowledged that instances of gunfire can occur in response to large crowds.
Recent protests in Israel have criticized the continuation of military operations in Gaza, which many believe endanger hostages held by Hamas. Protesters called for increased efforts to secure their release and highlighted the tragedy of ongoing civilian casualties during military interventions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced backlash over the perceived escalation of the war, as critics accuse him of prolonging the conflict for political ends.
The situation remains precarious as the humanitarian outlook in Gaza worsens, with civilians caught in the crossfire of an increasing conflict. Thousands have participated in protests demanding action for both hostages and those suffering within Gaza.
