After Israel’s order to evacuate, Gazans said, “Death Better Than Leaving”
On Friday, nations pleaded with Israel to postpone its intentions for an all-out attack on northern Gaza, where more than a million inhabitants mainly disobeyed its order to leave before it pursued Hamas members responsible for the murder of Israelis a week earlier.
After Israel ordered people to move to the south within 24 hours, Hamas, which governs the heavily populated Palestinian region, vowed to fight till the last drop of blood and urged locals to remain in their homes.
While some did heed the request to depart, there was little evidence of a huge exodus by Friday afternoon.
Mohammad, 20, stated, “Death is better than leaving,” as he stood in the street in front of a building that was reduced to rubble by an Israeli air strike two days ago close to the center of Gaza.
“I was born here, and I will die here, leaving is a stigma.”
The UN declared Gaza’s civilians were in an impossible situation, with power supplies cut off and food and water in the Palestinian enclave running low following a week of retaliatory air strikes and a complete Israeli embargo.
“In Gaza, the noose is getting tighter around the civilian population. In less than 24 hours, how are 1.1 million people going to cross a heavily populated conflict zone? Martin Griffiths, the head of UN relief, posted on social media.
A “tall order,” according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby, but Washington will not question its ally’s decision to urge civilians to move out of the path.
“We understand what they’re trying to do and why they’re trying to do this — to try to isolate the civilian population from Hamas, which is their real target,” he stated on MSNBC.
The largest settlement in the area, Gaza City, is located in the northern side of the Gaza Strip. The UN claimed to have been informed by Israel that it desired for the entire population to cross the wetlands dividing the enclave.
According to the Israeli military, Hamas is hiding in and under residential buildings. “Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields,” the military urged.
The forced eviction of Palestinians from Gaza would be a repetition of the events of 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were driven from what is now Israel, according to Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, a rival of Hamas, who told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jordan. The majority of Gazans are descended from these refugees.
Abbas demanded that help be allowed into Gaza right away. Israel has declared that it won’t end its siege until a large number of hostages taken by Hamas are freed.
Creating safe zones in Gaza “where civilians could relocate to be safe from Israel’s legitimate security operations,” Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed, a U.S. State Department official told reporters.
‘I promise you we will win’
Israel has responded with the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year conflict with the Palestinians. Gaza authorities said 1,799 people were killed.
The Israeli military did not specify what type of operation it was planning but pledged to be “significant” in the coming days.
“We are fighting for our homeland,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. We are fighting for our future.” “It’s going to be a long road, but in the end, I promise you we will win.”
Israel said the horrific attack on civilians meant it had to destroy the group and others had to get out of the way. Tunnels, military zones, residences of senior officials and Hamas weapons warehouses were among the 750 military targets attacked overnight, the statement said.
Hamas’s military wing said the latest airstrikes killed 13 detainees it brought back from Israel and fired 150 rockets into Israel in response.
The United Nations said Israel’s call for civilians to leave Gaza could not happen “without devastating humanitarian consequences”, prompting condemnation from Israel, which said it should condemn Hamas and support the right to self-defense. of Israel.
A ground invasion of the narrow and densely populated Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, poses serious risks as Hamas threatens to kill hostages. Hours after Israel’s evacuation call, there were few signs that residents were leaving Gaza City, where dozens gathered at al-Shifa hospital and vowed to stay.
Palestinians in the southern and central areas of the enclave, where people are expected to flee, said air strikes took place there overnight and central areas were also hit on Friday morning. “There is no safe place in the entire Gaza Strip,” the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.
More than 400,000 people in Gaza have been made homeless and 23 aid workers have died, the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) said. “Major displacement continues,” the statement said. The United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) said it had moved its central operations center and international staff to southern Gaza and called on Israel to spare the shelters.
“THEY ARE VICTIMS TOO”
White House national security spokesman Kirby said US officials are working with Israel and Egypt, which also border Gaza, to ensure safe travel for civilians.
“Obviously we don’t want to see any civilians injured,” he told CNN. “These Palestinians are also victims. They did not ask for this. They didn’t invite Hamas and say, you know, “Let’s attack Israel.” »
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a trip to Tel Aviv that military aid was flowing into Israel but now was the time for resolution, not revenge.
On Friday, Blinken met with King Abdullah of Jordan as well as Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority exercises limited autonomy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007. Blinken is also expected to visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates – some of which influence Hamas.
Iran has warned of a reaction from its allies, including Hamas and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah movement. The Israeli military said armed men were infiltrating across the Lebanese border. Iran’s foreign minister met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nassrallah in Lebanon.
“Continuing war crimes against Palestine and Gaza will be responded to by the rest of the axis,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said.
For More Update Join Available Links
