1.1 million Gaza residents ordered to evacuate
Local media: “Possible entry as early as the 14th”
Concerns about escalation of war in the Middle East, including between Iran and Lebanon
UN calls for withdrawal, saying it has “devastating consequences”
The Israeli military ordered residents of northern Gaza to evacuate to the south within 24 hours, saying, “We will carry out an important operation in Gaza 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 take precautions for the safety of themselves and their families.” (Central) Evacuate to the south of Wadi Gaza.” The United Nations also announced on this day, “We have been notified by the Israeli military that approximately 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza 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 the 14th or immediately after.”
The United Nations said the order “has very devastating humanitarian consequences” and urged it to be “rescinded to avoid the already tragic situation (in the Gaza Strip) turning into a disaster.”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 Ma’ruf, head of Hamas media, said Israel’s evacuation order was “a psychological tactic aimed at damaging internal unity by spreading false propaganda and creating chaos among residents,” urging residents to “remain at home.” “Please stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological warfare unleashed by the occupier (Israel),” he urged.
If Israel deploys 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 Abdollahian, who visited Islamic ‘Shiite belt’ countries such as Lebanon and Syria, issued a statement on the 12th and said, “If Israel does not stop attacking civilians in the Gaza Strip, there is a high possibility that a new front will open.” It is a warning that forces other than Hamas may join in.
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, giving strength to Israel.
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Gaza residents fleeing Residents of Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Palestine, are tying carpets and bags of refugees to the roof of their vehicles and heading to a safe area to avoid an airstrike by the Israeli military on the 13th (local time). The night before, the Israeli military notified 1.1 million residents of the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south within 24 hours. Gaza City = Getty ImagesAs Israel decided to deploy ground troops in the Gaza Strip, an all-out war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas began. 300,000 Israeli reserve forces, armored vehicles, and tanks already deployed near the Gaza Strip are awaiting orders to enter.
Israel’s recommendation on the 13th (local time) for residents of the Gaza Strip to evacuate within 24 hours is like putting the last button on the ground operation. However, Hamas leaders demanded that the evacuation order not be followed, saying, “This is a disgusting psychological warfare triggered by the occupiers.” If Hamas uses civilians as ‘human shields’ and Israel goes ahead with its operation, a large-scale casualty could occur in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement just before midnight on this day, “Residents of Gaza City (north of the Gaza Strip) and other areas should evacuate to the south of Wadi Gaza.” The evacuation deadline was set at 24 hours.
Earlier on the 12th, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released three photos of Hamas members’ brutal killings of Israeli civilians on its official X (formerly Twitter) account. In one photo, a bed covered in blood is visible, and in another photo, the body of a baby wearing a diaper is placed in a plastic bag, with the head covered in mosaic. Another photo shows the charred body of a baby. Without a description, it is so badly damaged that it is difficult to recognize it as a baby.
In a post, the Prime Minister’s Office said, “These are horrific pictures of babies killed and burned by Hamas monsters,” adding, “Hamas is not human. “It is (terrorist group) Islamic State (IS),” he claimed. After establishing a justification for the ground operation by releasing photos to support the suspicions of Hamas killing civilians, which had been reported only in words, a sudden order to evacuate residents of the Gaza Strip was issued just a few hours later.
Hamas blocked the evacuation, telling people not to fall for Israel’s ‘propaganda war’. Hamas leadership said in a statement on the 13th, “Israel is focusing on psychological warfare to attack the mainland (Gaza Strip) and expel its citizens,” urging residents to stay at home and not follow evacuation orders. It was also claimed that 13 hostages, including foreigners, lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes in various parts of the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. This highlighted the fact that Palestinian residents and hostages were staying at the base.
In the Gaza Strip, the distance from Rafah in the south, bordering Egypt, to Beit Hanoun in the north is 41km, which takes less than an hour by car. However, as it is the most densely populated region in the world, it is not easy for the 1.1 million northern residents, or about half of the total population of 2.3 million, to move to the south in one day.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement that day, “We ask that the evacuation order be withdrawn to avoid an already tragic situation becoming a ‘catastrophe.’” Palestine Red Crescent (Islamic Red Cross) spokesman Nebal Farsak also said, “There is no way for approximately 1.1 million people to evacuate safely.”
Residents of Gaza are in a state of ‘panic.’ The Associated Press reported that residents are panicking and are scooping up everything they can into their bags. Al Jazeera said, “Many residents did not even hear the evacuation order due to the collapse of the internet and telephone networks. “The northern streets are currently empty.”
With roads and buildings already bombed and the number of injured exceeding 6,000, mass evacuation itself is difficult. The director of Al Shifa Hospital, the largest medical institution in the Gaza Strip, expressed his devastation to the New York Times, saying, “The hospital will become a large cemetery.” “Many medical staff are refusing to leave the injured and are already saying goodbye to their colleagues,” Parsak said, sobbing. Reuters reported on the 12th that the power at the hospital was cut off and even the morgue cooler stopped, and the bereaved families were transporting the bodies with their bare hands, fearing that the remains would decompose.
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who was dispatched to Israel, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the 12th and said, “The United States always supports Israel.” At a press conference immediately after, he released photos of Hamas’ massacre of civilians and said, “Hamas’s atrocities are the worst of humanity.” It was reported that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Israel on the 13th to discuss operational plans and goals. Britain also decided to send a P8 maritime patrol aircraft, two ships, three helicopters, and a company of Marines.
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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.