Aviv Tel Aviv Thousands of Palestinians
who were still living in northern Gaza decided it was time to go this week, despite the fact that bombs continued to fall and their family and fellow citizens continued to perish.
As ground forces closed in on Gaza City’s core and the Israeli military stepped up its assault, many began their miles-long escape to southern Gaza on foot on Wednesday.
Source : NBC NEWS
In a conflict that has severely damaged civilian life, several Palestinians waved white flags in an attempt to repel strikes. Some held infants in their arms or prodded elderly people in wheelchairs. Some Palestinians were seen walking past Israeli tanks and bombed-out buildings with their hands up, according to videos that NBC News confirmed. A Palestinian claimed to have passed decaying corpses at the side of the road.
According to estimates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there were fifteen thousand Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza on Tuesday, up from five thousand the day before. Israel created a short humanitarian corridor on Salah al-Din Road, which runs through the middle of the Gaza Strip, on Wednesday to allow people to flee.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an IDF spokeswoman, estimated that 50,000 Palestinians had migrated south on Wednesday during a briefing on Wednesday.
The Israel Defense Forces said that throughout the previous several days, it had established humanitarian corridors to allow residents of northern Gaza to evacuate south. This comes after Israel has repeatedly warned the Palestinians to leave the north, in the midst of a month-long aerial bombardment, an intensifying military attack, and rapidly worsening humanitarian circumstances.
According to The Associated Press, Hamas denied that Israeli soldiers had advanced significantly or invaded Gaza City. NBC News was unable to independently confirm Israel’s or Hamas’ assertions about their combat capabilities. In a separate declaration, Hamas said that UNRWA, the UN organization for Palestinian refugees, was “colluding” with Israel to “force” the relocation of Palestinians in reaction to their flight south.
Ameer Ghalban, pushing a wheelchair-bound elder relative along Salah al-Din Road, revealed that the two of them had been surviving on one piece of bread a day.
Ghalban told The AP, “The majority of people have left their land because the siege in Gaza has become absolute.” “We lack flour, electricity, and water.”
The corridors have only been available for a brief period of time, from 10 a.m. local time until 2 p.m., according to the U.N., and they have sometimes been closed early due to fighting, according to the IDF.
A large group of individuals could be seen strolling along a congested route in a video that was shared on social media, including by COGAT, Israel’s military liaison with the Palestinians. On Tuesday, Salah al-Din Road was lined with throngs of people strolling, according to satellite footage.
In a social media post on Wednesday, IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee issued a warning, stating that people in northern Gaza had to flee quickly as it has turned into a “fierce combat zone.”
Medical staff at hospitals where thousands of people are taking refuge have said they are unable to evacuate all of their patients, particularly those in severe condition, while northern civilians and humanitarian organizations have stated that such brief windows of opportunity are insufficient for people to escape safely.
The Israeli military has repeatedly warned residents in the north to seek shelter in the south, but those who do escape south are not promised protection from Israel’s bombing, which has struck residential areas and refugee camps.
Even from a bird’s eye perspective, it is evident that Gaza City has already undergone irreversible change as Israeli soldiers move through it. Maxar Technologies published satellite photographs of the city on Tuesday, showing flames spreading under Israeli bombardment.
However, some people are unable or unwilling to leave.
“Neither the north nor the south will receive us. Forget America and Netanyahu. Mahasen Al-Khateeb told NBC News, “We will not leave our land, we will remain steadfast in it.” The activist was taking refuge in Rantisi Specialist Hospital, a pediatric hospital.
Shahal Ibrahim, who was also in the hospital, expressed concern that if Palestinians continue to go south, they may end up being forcibly displaced forever. His concern was that they would ultimately be driven into the Sinai Desert, bringing back memories of the 1948 “Nakba,” which is Arabic for “catastrophe” and refers to the nearly 700,000 Palestinians who were driven from their home in what would become Israel.
The hospital’s evacuation has been ordered by the Israeli military, who said armed organizations were using the building’s grounds and environs. However, Gaza’s health professionals have warned that the evacuation of the institution would endanger the lives of several dozen youngsters who are dependent on mechanical breathing apparatuses, receiving renal dialysis, and are on life support.
Even as Israeli soldiers get closer to the location where 53-year-old Fares Abu Fares is seeking refuge, he said he would not be leaving Gaza City. Fares Abu Fares is a volunteer with the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund.
Fares, a Palestinian American living in the United States with his wife and kids, said that he was in Gaza on a family vacation when the conflict started and that he has since stayed there with his mother and siblings. Although his neighborhood had been mostly devastated, his home was still standing at the time.
He expressed his anxiety that his family is “on the verge of starvation” due to the scarcity of food and water, but he also expressed fear that they may be murdered if they attempt to go south.
Regarding the Israeli army, he said, “I can’t trust those people.” He said, “I’m not going anywhere right now. I’m planning to remain with my folks.”
“It’s not secure,” he said.
