The Israeli army has given more than 1.1 million Gazans 24 hours to evacuate to the south, the United Nations announced early Friday. The move – an unprecedented and predictable prelude to a land invasion – affects almost half of Gaza’s population and also includes the capital. There is the main Al Shifa hospital, which treated more than 6,000 wounded and had to abandon bodies in the outdoor parking lot because the morgue was full after six days of bombings that claimed more than 1,400 lives. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, has pointed out: “It is impossible that such a massive movement of people can take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.” Hamas calls on the population to ignore the Israeli army’s announcement: ” It is false propaganda aimed at confusing citizens and destroying internal Palestinian cohesion,” reports Portal.
The armed forces justify the measure with the “safety and protection” of residents north of Wadi Gaza, about five kilometers south of the capital. “Gaza civilians, evacuate the city south for your own safety and that of your families and stay away from the Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields.” In the coming days, the army will be deployed in significant numbers operate in the city. Great efforts are being made to prevent harm to the civilian population,” the army warned in an appeal to civilians in the capital Gaza City. “They cannot return until a further announcement is made allowing this,” he added. Hamas is the armed Islamist group that carried out the largest attack on Israeli territory last Saturday, leaving 1,300 dead and a hundred kidnapped. Its armed wing, the Ezedín Al-Qasam Brigades, announced this Friday the deaths of 13 of the hundred hostages in Gaza, due to some of the 6,000 bombs dropped from the air on Gaza, according to the General Commander of Military Aviation , Tomer Bar, emerges . .
More information
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called the UN’s response “shameful.” “For years he completely ignored Hamas’s military development and its use of all civilian facilities and the population of Gaza to hide its weapons and means of murder. And now, instead of supporting Israel, which is trying to minimize harm to innocent civilians [en los combates] “After the massacre by Hamas terrorists, there are lessons for us.”
Smoke rises over Gaza City after the attacks by the Israeli army this Friday, October 13, 2023. MOHAMMED SALEM (Portal)
Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without restrictions.
Subscribe to
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA), the number of displaced people in Gaza reached 423,000 this Friday, 25% more than the previous day. Two thirds take refuge in the 92 schools run by UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. Following the Israeli announcement, UNRWA, whose 12 staff members died in the massive bombings that began on Saturday, has announced the relocation of its operations center and international staff to the south of the Gaza Strip. “We urge the Israeli authorities to protect all civilians and shelters, including schools,” the agency said, reminding Israel that both these schools and “all other UN shelters are UN facilities,” therefore “must “They shall be protected at all times and shall never be attacked,” in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
The United Nations World Food Program has been warning since Monday about the shortage of food and water in a strip that is under “total siege” on orders from Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who has cut off supplies of food, energy and fuel. “Leaving Gaza without power means leaving hospitals without power, which in turn means putting newborns in incubators and putting older patients in need of oxygen at risk; stop kidney dialysis; not being able to take x-rays. Without electricity, hospitals could become morgues,” warned Fabrizio Carboni, regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross, this Thursday.
Follow all international information on Facebook and Xor in our weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits