Where do they go?
The Gaza Strip consists of 2.3 million people. More than 1.1 million Palestinians living in the northern part of the Strip are being asked to move towards the South by Israeli forces — that too, within 24 hours as there are plans of ground operations.
The UN has deemed the call as “impossible”, stating that it can lead to a serious humanitarian crisis: “It is ‘impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” the UN said.
Israeli military sent a warning to Gaza saying, “This evacuation is for your own safety. You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel.”
Hamas, however, has told Palestinians to not give into the “fake propaganda”“Remain steadfast in your homes and stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation”, stated the Hamas Authority for Refugee Affairs.
Nowhere to sleep
The International Committee of the Red Cross has revealed that as a large number of people in Gaza are being displaced, “hundreds of thousands have nowhere to sleep”.
It added that more than 2 million people lack basic necessities, water and electricity; ambulances cannot reach the wounded.
Tonight in Gaza, hundreds of thousands have nowhere to sleep.
— ICRC (@ICRC) October 12, 2023
More than 2 million people lack basic necessities, water and electricity.
Ambulances cannot reach the wounded.
Civilians must be spared from the effects of hostilities. pic.twitter.com/JMmmpU4wKV
423,000 people displaced
The United Nations has revealed that 423,378 people have been displaced after forcibly fleeing their residences in Gaza.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said that this number has reportedly risen by an addition of 84,444 people on Thursday.
‘Genocide’ in Gaza, says Hamas
In a video statement, senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad describes the current Israeli moves as “genocide” which are being backed by the Western countries who, he added, are not seeking a resolution.
“There is no safe area for the people in Gaza to seek refuge or shelter,” he said.
“Every area and every building is under possible attack. Everyone is targeted and vulnerable to Israel’s killing, including women, children, the elderly and even disabled people.”
“The Israeli leaders are giving clear instructions to their army to carry out a genocide [against] more than two million citizens in the Gaza Strip. We are facing unprecedented crimes in modern history,”
30 airstrikes in one night
Israel conducted 30 airstrikes during the night in a span of just one hour.
This indicates the intensification of attacks in the northern part of the Gaza Strip after excessive attacks in the southern part, targeting Rafah.
Use of white phosphorus
The use of white phosphorus has now been confirmed by Human Rights Watch.
“Human Rights Watch verified videos taken in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10 and 11, 2023, respectively, showing multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over the Gaza City port and two rural locations along the Israel-Lebanon border, and interviewed two people who described an attack in Gaza,” they have stated.
Additionally, Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch explains that “Any time that white phosphorus is used in crowded civilian areas, it poses a high risk of excruciating burns and lifelong suffering,
“White phosphorous is unlawfully indiscriminate when airburst in populated urban areas, where it can burn down houses and cause egregious harm to civilians.”
Lebanese forced to flee too
After Palestinians, thousands of people from southern Lebanese villages are forced to leave their houses due to high chances of Israel-Hezbollah war.
Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group. They have a frictional history with Israel and both of them have, time and again, attacked each other’s territory.
