The Israeli military ordered residents in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south within 24 hours, saying, “We will carry out an important operation in the Gaza Strip within the next few days.” After the surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, which took control of the Gaza Strip, on the 7th (local time), the Middle East war, which was mainly focused on air strikes, is now approaching an all-out war on the ground. Iran, which supports Hamas, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group, are effectively defining the deployment of Israeli troops into the Gaza Strip as a ‘red line’, so it is expected to be an inflection point in the escalation of the Middle East war.
According to Reuters, the Israeli military issued a statement just before midnight on the 13th, saying, “We will carry out a large-scale operation in Gaza City (the largest city in the northern part of the Gaza Strip) within a few days,” adding, “Residents of Gaza City and other places should flee to the south for the safety of themselves and their families.” Evacuate to Wadi Gaza,” he announced. The United Nations also announced on this day, “Approximately 1.1 million Palestinians living in Gaza have been notified by the Israeli military that they must move south within the next 24 hours.”
It is not known when Israeli troops will enter the Gaza Strip. However, the Israeli daily Jerusalem Post reported on this day, “Several sources have reported (to this paper) that ground troops will enter on or after the 14th.”
The United Nations said the order “has very devastating humanitarian consequences” and urged it to be “rescinded to avoid the already tragic situation (in the Gaza Strip) turning into a disaster.”
On this day, Hamas issued a ‘counter-statement’ preventing the evacuation of residents. Salama Marufu, head of Hamas government media, said Israel’s evacuation order was “a psychological campaign aimed at damaging internal unity by spreading false propaganda and creating chaos among residents.” He added, “Remain at home.” “Please stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological warfare unleashed by the occupier (Israel),” he urged.
There are ongoing concerns that if Israel begins deploying ground troops, not only will there be mass casualties among civilians, but the flames of war could spread throughout the Middle East. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian, who visited the Islamic ‘Shiite belt’ such as Lebanon and Syria, issued a statement on the 12th and warned of an escalation of war, saying, “If Israel does not stop attacking civilians in the Gaza Strip, a new front is likely to open.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released photos of the bodies of infants and children killed by Hamas members on the 12th and appealed for support from the international community before deploying ground troops. U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who was dispatched to Israel, also released related photos at a press conference and said, “This is the worst corruption of humanity. “This is a moment for moral clarity,” he said, effectively lending support to the decision to deploy ground troops.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.