New deadline expired – UN speaks of mass exodus
After the end of a new evacuation deadline, the United Nations reports a “mass exodus” to the south of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, local hospitals warn that they will soon run out of electricity, further exacerbating the situation.
With a new time window set by Israel for the evacuation of Gaza City, it appears that many people have once again left the area. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that a “mass exodus from the north to the south of the Gaza Strip is underway.”
Israel had promised civilians a safe escape route to the south between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm CEST. An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed in a video press conference, “We have observed a significant movement of Palestinian civilians towards the south.” Israeli reserve soldiers are reportedly forming into formations around the Gaza Strip in preparation for the next phase of operations. They are stationed around the Gaza Strip in the south, center, and north, according to the spokesperson.
Hospitals running out of power
Meanwhile, the situation for people in the completely sealed-off Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly difficult. There is a lack of food, water, and fuel. Local doctors warn of a disaster with numerous deaths in the Coast enclave’s hospitals. After the shutdown of the only power plant in the Gaza Strip, hospitals are running out of fuel to operate generators. The UN estimates that Gaza’s hospitals still have fuel for about two days.
Doctors at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, the second-largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, report that hundreds of people with blast injuries have been admitted in the past eight days. Many patients have severe and complex injuries and require intensive care. Dozens need intensive care or artificial ventilation. “All these patients are in mortal danger if the power supply ends,” said one doctor.
According to Palestinian reports, more than 2,300 people have been killed and over 10,000 injured in the Gaza Strip since Hamas Initiates Assault on Israel a week ago. The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that 300 people have died in the last 24 hours alone.
Uncertainty about ground offensive
The timing of the expected Israeli ground offensive remains unclear. The Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” warned that the longer Israel waits, the more likely the West’s solidarity with the attacked country will diminish.
In the event of an Israeli ground invasion, an escalation of the conflict through attacks by the Shiite militia Hezbollah from southern Lebanon on Israel is feared. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian had already warned Israel of an “earthquake against the Zionists” the day before. There is growing international concern that the conflict will develop into a conflagration.
Tension at the Lebanese border
The situation is also escalating on the northern border with Lebanon. For days, there have been clashes between militants from the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia and the Israeli army. There have been casualties on both sides. The Israeli army has now declared a four-kilometer-wide strip in the border area a restricted zone. It is forbidden to enter this zone. Civilians living less than two kilometers from the border have been instructed to always stay near shelters.
According to Syrian media reports, the Israeli army also attacked the international airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. As a result, operations there have come to a halt. The airstrip was hit in the Saturday evening attack, according to the daily newspaper “Al-Watan.” It had just been repaired hours earlier after a similar Israeli attack on Thursday.
