Israeli Urgency: Gaza Evacuations Amidst Airstrikes
Israel has urged Palestinians from various areas of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah to evacuate and head towards what it terms an expanded humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi.
This move signals the continuation of the army's ground attack plans on Rafah, as reported by Reuters.
Additionally, the Israeli army has instructed residents and displaced individuals from the Jabalia area in northern Gaza to evacuate, citing its return to operations there after observing Hamas attempting to regain control of the area.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that at least 37 Palestinians, including 24 from central Gaza, were killed in overnight airstrikes across the enclave, including in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Strip bordering Egypt. It remains unclear how many were civilians or militants.
"They dropped leaflets on Rafah and said: from Rafah to al-Zawayda it's safe, people should evacuate there, and they did, and what happened to them? Dismembered corpses? There is no safe place in Gaza," recounted Khitam Al-Khatib to Reuters. She stated losing at least 10 relatives in an earlier Saturday airstrike on a family home.
Al-Zawayda, located in the centre of the Gaza Strip, has become densely populated with thousands of displaced individuals from across the enclave.
The Israeli army announced that its planes targeted dozens of sites in Gaza in the past day, and its ground troops eliminated approximately 30 fighters in Zeitoun.
Doctors reported that an Israeli airstrike killed at least seven people from the same family in a house in the town of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza Strip. Residents noted the presence of Israeli tanks in the city.
In Rafah, where the Ministry of Health confirmed 16 deaths, residents mentioned that the new evacuation orders from the Israeli army covered central areas of the city, leaving little doubt about Israel's intention to expand its ground offensive in the region.
"The situation is very dire, people are leaving their homes in panic," said Khaled, a 35-year-old resident of the Shaboura neighbourhood, where new evacuation orders were issued.
The Israeli army stated it continued operational activity against Hamas fighters in eastern Rafah and on the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing point.
Despite strong pressure from the US and concerns expressed by residents and humanitarian groups, Israel declared its intention to persist with its incursion into Rafah, where over 1 million displaced individuals have sought refuge during the seven-month-long war.
On Friday, Israeli tanks seized the main road dividing Rafah's eastern and western sections, effectively surrounding the eastern part, prompting Washington to postpone the delivery of military aid to its ally.
Israel maintains that it cannot win the war without eliminating the thousands of Hamas fighters still entrenched in Rafah.
According to Israeli military estimates published on Saturday, approximately 300,000 residents of the Gaza Strip have relocated to Al-Mawasi thus far.
The war was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and over 250 individuals being taken hostage, according to Israeli accounts.
Israel's military operation in Gaza has claimed nearly 35,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The bombardments have devastated the coastal enclave and triggered a profound humanitarian crisis.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
