Residents of Gaza City and other civilians in the northern Gaza Strip have been ordered by Israel to relocate south of the enclave, where they believe it would be safer, as the IDF launches attacks on Hamas in the wake of its cross-border invasion on October 7.
Nonetheless, Israeli aircraft have persisted in striking locations in southern Gaza, instilling fear in the evacuees that their safety there is no less threatened than that of their homes in the north. This is a synopsis of the circumstances.
Why is Israel still hitting the South?
The Israeli military (IDF) has continued to strike targets around the region after urging Gazans to flee south, killing an undetermined number of people in the process. Since Israeli strikes began on October 7, 6,546 Palestinians have reportedly died, according to Gaza authorities.
The south was under increased shelling, according to locals, on October 25. Several apartment complexes in Khan Younis, which is around 10 km (6 miles) from the Egyptian border, were destroyed by one attack.
According to the IDF, despite Hamas’s primary command center being located in Gaza City, the organisation is deeply ingrained in the civilian populace across the territory.
The military reiterated earlier claims on Wednesday: “Wherever a Hamas target arises, the IDF will strike at it in order to thwart the terrorist capabilities of the group while taking feasible precautions to mitigate the harm to uninvolved civilians.”
Even when civilians coexist with agents, the military has declared that their residences are “legitimate targets”.
During a recent briefing, a senior Israeli Air Force official told reporters, “The so-called private home is not a private home.”
Also read: Israeli Night Strikes In Gaza Kill At Least 80 People
Why did Israel order the evacuation of the south?
On October 12, the Israeli military declared that within a day, almost half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents had to relocate to the southern portion of the territory. “Hamas terror targets” are thought to be concentrated in the north, according to the military, which is why it issued the order.
After that, military spokesman Jonathan Conricus stated: “We are getting ready for a big military operation in Gaza City. That is what comes next. We are requesting that people move south of the Gaza River because of this.”
Israel is widely expected to initiate a land assault, having gathered forces near the Gaza border.
On October 18, the military ordered Gazans to flee to Al Mawasi, on the southern Gazan coast, citing it as a humanitarian zone.
On October 22, Israel issued more warnings, stating that if people in the north did not leave, they may be labeled as supporters of a “terrorist organisation.”
How many people have moved?
Palestinians have been urged by Hamas to disregard Israeli warnings.
Israel declared on Wednesday that it had destroyed Hamas-built barriers that it thought were preventing refugees from leaving.
Residents and international relief agencies report that a large number of people have left the north and other parts of the enclave that are thought to be most vulnerable to attacks, despite Hamas’s attempts to block the migration.
Also read: Israeli Night Strikes In Gaza Kill At Least 80 People
More than 1.4 million people are thought to be internally displaced (IDPs) in Gaza, according to estimates made on October 24 by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Due to the closure of Gaza’s borders with Egypt and Israel, its citizens are essentially confined inside the territory.
What has the international community said?
Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the UN, called it “dangerous and deeply troubling” because hundreds of thousands of people had only hours to flee their homes. In order to create humanitarian corridors for the stranded civilians, numerous Western nations have demanded a stop in hostilities. Arab countries have demanded that Israel end the conflict.
