Israel, which announced the deployment of ground troops in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a surprise attack by the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas, once extended the evacuation time for residents, but it was pointed out that the limitations were clear because the related announcement was made through social media.
According to Reuters and Al Jazeera, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza, including Gaza City, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the morning of the 14th (local time) through social media They announced that they would allow safe movement to Khan Yunis, a city in southern Gaza where the refugee camp is located.
The post, written in Arabic, said that if you use the two designated roads, you can travel without suffering any harm. The Israeli military urged, “If you are concerned about yourself and your loved ones, go south as instructed.”
This gives Gaza residents additional time to evacuate before the Israeli military invades the ground. The day before, the IDF notified the residents of northern Gaza to move south within 24 hours, saying that a military operation could take place within the next few days. However, in response to criticism from the international community that it was ‘physically impossible’, the IDF took this into consideration and extended the evacuation time. see.
However, CNN reported that because the announcement of the extension was made through social media, it is highly likely that Gaza residents, who have had electricity and internet cut off due to the Israeli blockade, will not be aware of the news.
In an interview with CNN on this day, IDF spokesman Major Doron Spielman was asked, “How did you deliver a safe route to the local area?” and gave an ambiguous answer, saying, “The residents of Gaza City will now know exactly what is happening.”
The reporter who was interviewing him mentioned that the local internet was blocked due to the Israeli blockade and asked again, “Are you even distributing leaflets?” Major Spielman briefly answered, “Yes.”
On the other hand, CNN further confirmed that UN officials, emergency workers, and on-site reporters in the Gaza Strip were all unaware of the Israeli military’s latest evacuation recommendation.
During the first evacuation notice, the Israeli military distributed evacuation advisories in Arabic over the Gaza Strip. The advisory included a map of the Gaza Strip and an evacuation route to the south. This is a point where there is criticism that more active evacuation promotion is needed to suit local circumstances.
Meanwhile, Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, called Israel’s evacuation notice “false propaganda” and ordered residents not to be disturbed. The day before, Salama Ma’ruf, head of the Hamas government’s media department, criticized Israel for waging a propaganda war “with the aim of sowing confusion among citizens and damaging internal solidarity.”
As the evacuation time suggested by the Israeli military was absolutely insufficient and Hamas issued a restraining order, only a small number of residents actually took refuge. On this day, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that tens of thousands of residents had evacuated from northern Gaza to southern Gaza by 6 p.m. the previous day following Israel’s evacuation notification the previous day.
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.