Gaza, 14 October, 2023(GNP): Thousands of Palestinians have fled to southern Gaza in search of safety after Israel issued an evacuation order ahead of what is anticipated to be a ground onslaught against Hamas in reprisal for the most serious attack in Israel’s history.
According to the Israeli military, during the last 24 hours, ground troops have conducted operations in Gaza to finish the mission to rid the region of terrorists and weapons. Attempt were also made during these operations to find anyone who had gone missing during these activities.
The Palestinian health ministry reported that rounds of missile attacks on the heavily populated territory had killed over 1,800 people in Gaza, including more than 580 children.
Israel asserts that during its initial offensive, Hamas abducted 150 Israelis, foreigners, and dual nationals and brought them back to Gaza.
According to Hamas, the number of captives murdered in Israeli airstrikes was 13. Previous reports claim that four captives perished as a result of bombings, which would complicate any ground attack by Israel.
Also Read: Israeli military ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza
Meanwhile, tensions increased due to rallies in support of the Palestinians across the Middle East and abroad, and Israel was threatened with a second conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. At least nine Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli gunfire during demonstrations in support of Gaza, bringing the death toll there to 44 since Saturday.
The Israeli military has issued a warning that it will conduct “significant” operations in Gaza City over the next several days and that residents won’t be allowed to leave until further notice.
The Israeli military, whose forces are assembling near the border, reportedly instructed UN representatives that the evacuation should take place “within the next 24 hours.”
The quick transfer of around 1.1 million people, or about half of the 2.4 million inhabitants in the Gaza Strip, was, however, deemed “impossible” by the UN.
UN humanitarians express deep concern about the well-being of civilians in the Gaza Strip following Israel’s order for the entire northern population to evacuate amid ongoing airstrikes. https://t.co/5VDhwaO0PT pic.twitter.com/4D33WSIloI
— United Nations (@UN) October 13, 2023
It urgently requested that the order be revoked. As gasoline, food, and water supplies decreased as a result of an Israeli embargo, aid organizations warned that large-scale evacuations would put a strain on available resources.
The health system is already “at a breaking point,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO), as hospitals struggle to handle the influx of dead and injured from the constant bombing. While the Gaza health ministry’s Ashraf al-Qudra claimed that hospitals were “starting to lose capacity” and that supplies of medicine were running low.
More than 60% of the 423,000 individuals who have recently been uprooted from their homes in the Gaza Strip are being housed by UNRWA, the organization of the UN for Palestinian refugees.
Announcing that hospitals in the area are “at a breaking point”, WHO Director voiced extreme worry about the dire situation in Gaza.
Deeply grieved that tonight health workers and patients in hospitals in north Gaza are dealing with imminent or ongoing evacuations. I plead to the Israeli government to revoke this decision and avoid a human tragedy. https://t.co/xauanLgtjk
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 13, 2023
