The Israeli army called on all civilians in northern Gaza to head south. All civilians should move from their homes to the area south of Wadi Gaza “for their own safety”, the army said today. The return can only occur after a new order, it was said. There will be military operations in the north of the Gaza Strip in the coming days. Return would only be permitted after a new corresponding announcement from the military.
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Christina Vogler (text), Günther Rosenberger (image), Georg Filzmoser (editing), all ORF.at/agencies
The UN said today that the Israeli military has informed it that around 1.1 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are expected to be relocated from the north to the south of the enclave within the next 24 hours. “The United Nations considers it impossible for such a move to occur without devastating humanitarian consequences,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
“The United Nations strongly urges the withdrawal of such an order, if confirmed, to prevent an already existing tragedy from turning into a catastrophic situation,” he said.
Gaza Strip threatens collapse of health system
In light of heavy airstrikes by the Israeli army in response to Hamas attacks on Saturday, the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip is “on the brink of collapse,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Time is running out to “avoid a humanitarian catastrophe” if fuel and vital medical and humanitarian supplies cannot be delivered quickly to the Gaza Strip given the total blockade of the territory, the WHO has warned. “Ambulances cannot reach the injured,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) complained on Twitter that evening (X).
Following the Hamas massacre in Israel, the country’s army bombed the densely populated Gaza Strip. More than a thousand people were killed and thousands were injured. Hospitals have only a few hours of electricity a day as they have to ration dwindling fuel reserves and rely on generators, the WHO said. “Without electricity, hospitals risk becoming morgues,” warned Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director for the Middle East, on Twitter.
Two more Austrians killed
According to recent reports, two more Austrian-Israeli dual nationals died after the Hamas attack and are “victims of Hamas’ brutal terror in Israel”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last night. “Our most sincere condolences and solidarity with the families and friends at this difficult time,” continued Itamaraty.
The two dead are not the two people who are still missing. According to the ministry, there is still no reliable information on the whereabouts of the two missing people with dual citizenship. No further details were released.
The death of another citizen with dual citizenship had already been confirmed the day before. According to current information, three Austrians were killed by Hamas. In total, more than 2,000 people fell victim to attacks on both sides. Around 10,000 were injured.
Emergency government established in Israel
Israel, however, decided to create an emergency government including the opposition in Israel. MPs voted 66 to four in favor of the emergency government in a special session after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered cooperation to the wartime opposition.
Netanyahu’s rival, Benni Ganz, and four members of his party were sworn in as ministers without a specific portfolio. Opposition leader Jair Lapid had already rejected participation in the emergency government.
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