Palestinians Evacuate Within Gaza Following Israeli Evacuation Directive and Limited Ground Operations

In response to Israel’s mass evacuation orders, Palestinians vacated areas in northern Gaza over the weekend, anticipating an impending land-based military operation by Israel. This follows a week after Hamas launched a comprehensive and deadly assault into Israeli territory.

Despite warnings from the United Nations and various humanitarian organizations about the potential for immense human suffering, Israel directed approximately one million residents, including the entire populace of Gaza City, to relocate.

Highways leading south from Gaza City were congested with families in various vehicles, including donkey carts, loaded with their belongings. As Israeli airstrikes persisted, Hamas’ media division reported that more than 70 individuals were killed as their cars were targeted while moving southward.

The Israeli Defense Forces indicated that they conducted temporary incursions into Gaza to engage militants and search for about 150 individuals—comprising men, women, and children—who had been kidnapped during Hamas’ assault on southern Israel on October 7.

While stating that the focus of its operations would be subterranean Hamas facilities in the vicinity of Gaza City, Israel’s evacuation directive has fueled concerns among Palestinians and some Egyptian authorities. They worry that Israel may be planning to eventually drive Gaza’s inhabitants across the southern border into Egypt.

Ignoring the international calls to withdraw its evacuation directive, Israel remained firm. On the other hand, Hamas instructed residents to disregard Israel’s evacuation orders. The residents of Gaza find themselves in a quandary, unsure whether to evacuate or stay put amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and a virtual blockade that has left them without access to food, water, medical supplies, and electricity.

One resident, Haifa Khamis al-Shurafa, fled with around 150 others to the agricultural town of Deir al-Balah after her Gaza City apartment was destroyed in an airstrike earlier in the week. She lamented the loss of their home and possessions, emphasizing that the safety of her children was the primary reason for their flight.

As of Friday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported approximately 1,900 fatalities within the territory. Israel said that over 1,300 of its citizens, mainly civilians, were killed in the Hamas-led assault, and about 1,500 Hamas militants were eliminated during the conflict.

Israeli Forces Undertake Brief Operations in Gaza

Initial actions by Israeli forces inside Gaza provided the first tangible evidence of ground troop deployment since Israel initiated round-the-clock bombings in retribution for the Hamas-initiated violence. After conducting the raids, Israeli ground forces withdrew.

As the potential for a full-scale ground invasion looms, Israel has mobilized about 360,000 reserve forces and amassed troops and tanks along the Gaza border. However, no official decision regarding a ground offensive has been made public. A ground invasion would likely result in increased casualties due to intense urban warfare.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted on Friday, “We will destroy Hamas.”

Hamas claimed that 13 hostages, including foreign nationals, were killed in Israeli airstrikes, a statement the Israeli military refutes. Hamas and other Palestinian factions aim to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.

The Israeli populace, still reeling from the Hamas attacks and continuous rocket fire, overwhelmingly supports a military operation. Israeli media coverage is focused on stories of heroism and national unity, with little attention to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced 16 Palestinians were killed on Friday, making the death toll there 51. The United Nations reported that violence from Israeli settlers in the area has increased since the onset of the Hamas attack.

Israel Continues to Call for Relocation of Gaza Civilians

The United Nations stated that Israel’s call for civilian relocations would affect 1.1 million residents. This would necessitate that the population move to the southern half of Gaza, a strip measuring 40 kilometers (approximately 25 miles). Israeli airstrikes continue to target areas across the territory, including the south.

Israeli spokesperson Jonathan Conricus maintained that the military is making concerted efforts to minimize civilian casualties and assured that residents could return post-conflict. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

The European Union called for additional time to facilitate the movement of people in northern Gaza. Joseph Borrell, speaking in China, expressed concern over the logistical impossibility of relocating such a large population in a short period.

Displaced Palestinians in Gaza Face Uncertain Future

Hamas reported that 70 individuals were killed as airstrikes targeted vehicles moving south. Israeli authorities have yet to comment on this. Eyewitness accounts corroborate the targeting of vehicles.

Many residents are concerned they may never be able to return to their homes or that they might be gradually relocated to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The U.N. estimates that tens of thousands had left their homes in the north by Friday night.

Struggling Hospitals and Humanitarian Crisis

Gaza’s Health Ministry indicated that it is infeasible to safely evacuate the wounded from overloaded medical facilities. “We cannot evacuate hospitals and leave the wounded and sick to die,” said spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra.

International aid organizations like Doctors Without Borders reported difficulties in evacuating medical facilities, citing an example where a deadline for evacuation was extended.

UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, stated it has no plans to evacuate its schools, which have become shelters for hundreds of thousands. Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner general, described the rapidly developing humanitarian crisis as “bone-chilling” and stated that Gaza is on the verge of collapse.

Reporting was contributed by journalists located in Jerusalem, Baghdad, Cairo, and Beirut.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mass Evacuation in Gaza

More about Mass Evacuation in Gaza

• Israel Orders Mass Evacuation in Gaza
• U.N. Responds to Israeli Evacuation Directive
• Casualty Numbers in the Israel-Gaza Conflict
• The Gaza Humanitarian Crisis: What Aid Groups Are Saying
• Evacuation Decision’s Impact on Palestinian Families
• European Union’s Stance on Gaza Evacuation
• U.S. Support for Israel’s Actions in Gaza
• Hostage Situation in Israel-Gaza Conflict
• Israeli Ground Incursions Into Gaza: What We Know