In a bid to protect the safety of Gaza residents, the Israeli military has issued an urgent plea for Palestinian civilians to evacuate the northern half of the territory as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to escalate.
The Israeli military conveyed this message via social media, specifically on X (formerly Twitter), addressing the people of Gaza City and northern Gaza. The military emphasized the importance of relocating to the southern area for their safety, assuring them that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not conduct any operations along this route from 10 AM to 1 PM. The statement urged residents to follow these instructions and emphasized that Hamas leaders had already ensured their own safety and that of their families.
Residents of Gaza City and northern Gaza, in the past days, we've urged you to relocate to the southern area for your safety. We want to inform you that the IDF will not carry out any operations along this route from 10 AM to 1 PM. During this window, please take the opportunity… pic.twitter.com/JUkcGOg0yv
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 15, 2023
The Israeli military has been actively encouraging Palestinians to leave the north en masse, offering two corridors and an extended window to facilitate their safe passage, as they prepare for a major campaign against Hamas militants in the northern region, including underground hideouts in Gaza City.
However, Hamas has urged people to stay in their homes, setting the stage for a potential humanitarian crisis as the Gaza Health Ministry reported 2,329 Palestinians killed since the conflict began, surpassing the death toll of the 2014 Gaza war. The situation has escalated to become the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides. Additionally, more than 1,300 Israelis have been killed, with the majority being civilians targeted in Hamas’s October 7 assault.
The United Nations and aid organizations have raised concerns about the rapid exodus of residents and Israel’s complete siege of Gaza, noting that this would lead to significant human suffering. The World Health Organization warned that the evacuation “could be tantamount to a death sentence” for over 2,000 patients in northern hospitals, including newborns in incubators and people in intensive care.
Gaza’s hospitals are also facing a critical shortage of generator fuel, and they are expected to run out within two days, putting the lives of thousands of patients at risk. The situation in Gaza had already reached a humanitarian crisis due to a lack of water and medical supplies caused by the Israeli siege, which had also led to the shutdown of the enclave’s sole electrical plant.
With some bakeries closing, residents in Gaza are struggling to obtain essential supplies, including bread. The US has been working to broker a deal to reopen Egypt’s Rafah crossing with Gaza to allow foreign nationals to leave and to bring in much-needed humanitarian aid. The crossing, which was closed due to airstrikes at the beginning of the conflict, remains shut.
Amidst these developments, hundreds of relatives of individuals captured by Hamas in Israel and taken to Gaza gathered outside the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, demanding the release of their loved ones.
