In brief
On Saturday, the Israeli army intensified its offensive in Gaza City, issuing evacuation orders for high-rise areas and compelling those remaining in the city to move south. Aid organizations fear that such measures will exacerbate the existing humanitarian crisis, as many families are already displaced and have nowhere safe to go. Reports indicate worsening food scarcity, significantly affecting Palestinian civilians as they face relentless airstrikes and limited access to humanitarian aid.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli army issued evacuation orders and targeted high-rise buildings in Gaza City on Saturday, urging Palestinians to flee south ahead of an escalating offensive to seize the city of nearly 1 million.Aid groups warn that a large-scale evacuation would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza City, which the world’s leading hunger watchdog announced last month was officially suffering from famine as a result of Israeli restrictions on food aid.Most Palestinian families have been repeatedly displaced in the nearly two-year-long war and say they have nowhere left to go. The Israeli military has previously bombed tent encampments designated as humanitarian zones.“Where do I go? We went to the south, there is no space in the south, where can we go?” a resident expressed her despair, highlighting the dire circumstances many face under constant bombardment.The Israeli military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, reiterated calls for residents of Gaza to seek refuge in designated humanitarian zones while acknowledging the military's continued bombardment of areas they allege Hamas operates in. The designation of Muwasi as a humanitarian zone has raised concerns, given the inadequate shelter, sanitation, and food reported by aid groups in the area.As the Israeli airstrikes continue, there have been numerous casualties among Palestinians, with reports indicating that over 12 individuals were shot by Israeli soldiers while gathering aid amid desperate food shortages. These incidents at aid distribution sites have become tragically common.Thousands of mourners gathered in the streets of Jerusalem, demanding the release of hostages still held by Hamas while expressing outrage at the military escalation, fearing it could jeopardize their loved ones.The conflict began in 2023 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, leading to a tragic cycle of violence that has uprooted countless lives. With Israeli forces vowing to continue their offensive until all hostages are returned, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with calls for urgent international intervention intensifying.
