The Israeli army has called on civilians to leave the northern Gaza Strip. About a million people, half of Gaza’s population, are affected by the call. The UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA) estimates that tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip have already fled south.
Israel had given the Palestinians 24 hours to leave the north of the enclave in preparation for the coming ground offensive. The first troops have already been deployed in the Gaza Strip.
As OCHA reports, a total of 400,000 Palestinians had already been displaced as a result of the conflict before the call for evacuation. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres describes the flight of civilians from Gaza City to the south as “extremely dangerous”.
The UN criticizes Israel
Guterres wrote further and in some cases that was simply not possible.” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “Citizens must be protected. We do not want to see a mass exodus of Gazans.”
Here’s a video statement from the UN chief:
Above all, there is currently no way for Palestinians to flee the Gaza Strip, which has cut Israel off from electricity and food. Calls for a humanitarian corridor or escape route for Palestinians from Gaza have drawn opposition from neighboring Arab countries. Egypt, the only Arab state to share a border with Gaza, and Jordan, which borders the Israeli-occupied West Bank, have both warned of the expulsion of Palestinians from their lands and demanded they remain in Gaza.
“This is the origin of all affairs, the cause of all Arabs,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday. “It is important that the (Palestinian) people remain steadfast and present in their land.”
The US is negotiating with Israel and Egypt
The US said this week it would talk to Israel and Egypt about the idea of safe passage for Gaza civilians. However, Egypt has not yet shown any willingness to do so. It said it was trying to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, although this was hampered by Israeli bombardments near the border. Cairo has also indicated that solving the problem through a mass exodus of Palestinians is unacceptable.
US President Joe Biden again assured Israel of the solidarity of the United States, but also expressed concern about the situation in the Gaza Strip. “We cannot lose sight of the fact that the vast majority of Palestinians have nothing to do with Hamas or Hamas’s disgusting attacks, and they are suffering because of it,” Biden said Friday in Philadelphia.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
