Humanitarian Crisis Worsens: Israel Orders Palestinians to Leave Gaza City ‘Combat Zones’

Israel has announced that it will begin moving Palestinians from “combat zones” in Gaza City to the south of the enclave starting Sunday. The move comes just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would launch a new offensive to capture Gaza City, the largest urban area in Gaza.

On Saturday, the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said that people who leave would be given tents and other shelter equipment. These supplies, he said, would be delivered through the Kerem Shalom crossing with the help of the United Nations and other aid groups. However, the UN has not confirmed its involvement in the plan.

Israeli PM Ordered Forces to Destroy Areas Linked to Hamas

Netanyahu recently declared that Israeli forces had been authorized to “dismantle” what he called Hamas’s two remaining strongholds: Gaza City in the north and al-Mawasi in the south. The military has not explained where exactly the displaced residents would be sent or whether Rafah, near Egypt’s border, will be the main site. Gaza City is currently home to around one million people.

The UN warned last week that the plan could worsen the already dire situation, saying many families are surviving in extreme conditions and could “be pushed over the edge.”

Palestinian Groups Criticize Israeli Plans to Capture Gaza

The Palestinian group Islamic Jihad condemned Israel’s announcement, calling it part of a “brutal attack to occupy Gaza City” and accusing Israel of violating international law. The group said forcing people to flee “amidst starvation, massacres, and displacement” amounted to crimes against humanity.

Over the past week, Israeli forces have stepped up attacks on Gaza City’s outskirts, especially in Zeitoun and Shujayea. Residents reported heavy airstrikes and tank fire. The Palestinian news agency Wafa noted that an Israeli drone strike in the Zeitoun area killed two people and wounded several others. At least 61,827 people have been killed since the war began in October 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry says. Malnutrition has claimed 251 lives so far, including 11 deaths, among them a child, in just the past 24 hours.

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