Netanyahu orders total evacuation of Gaza City
Benjamin Netanyahu's government continues with its objective after the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched several air strikes against more than 30 residential towers, allegedly places of refuge for members of the terrorist organisation Hamas.
The Israeli executive announced that all residents of Gaza City and all surrounding neighbourhoods must evacuate the area before launching a new offensive against the most populous urban centre in the Palestinian enclave, with nearly one million inhabitants. This decision has been described as impossible by various humanitarian organisations, given that more than 15,600 Palestinians are in need of urgent medical transfer, which is incompatible with forced displacement.
The order, which was issued on Israeli public television, was later communicated on social media by military spokesman Avichay Adraee. The spokesman stressed that Israel will not cease its efforts to defeat Hamas after more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 kidnapped on 7 October 2023. Since then, more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 163.000 wounded by the IDF, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health. ‘The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, as it has done throughout the Strip,’ the spokesman said.
At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that the latest attacks on more than 30 residential towers were ‘only the prelude to a broader military operation.’ In that attack, the Gaza Civil Defence confirmed the disappearance of 25 Palestinians. ‘Therefore, I take this opportunity to say to the residents of Gaza: you have been warned, get out of there,’ Benjamin Netanyahu concluded. Along the same lines, Defence Minister Israel Katz said that if Hamas does not release the hostages or report its surrender, the IDF will end up ‘demolishing’ the Gaza Strip.
Israeli instructions for the evacuation plan indicate that the Palestinian population should travel along the Al Rashid road to the Al Mawasi area, which the Israeli army considers safe and a refuge for the civilian population of Gaza. Specifically, the army urged the population to move south, near the city of Khan Yunis, despite it being overpopulated, according to the United Nations. The Israeli government's intention is for more than two million inhabitants to take refuge in 43 square kilometres. Since the conflict began almost two years ago, Israel has managed to control more than 75% of the territory.
In response to Israel's humanitarian displacement orders, Hamas health authorities reported the need for ‘immediate protection’ for medical facilities and hospitals in the Strip, warning that the situation could worsen further if this did not happen.
The continuation of the conflict shows that attempts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar to negotiate a ceasefire have failed. Hamas insists on reaching an agreement to stop the killing of Palestinians in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian state; however, Israel maintains its conditions: the disarmament of Hamas, political control over the Strip and the return of hostages.
The severity of the humanitarian crisis in Palestine is prompting more and more countries to protest for an end to the war. In this regard, Spain is the country that has most strongly pushed for increased international pressure among the countries of the European Union, as confirmed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez with the announcement of a package of measures against Israel. Within the Arab world, however, protests against the Israeli government's actions are spreading across most countries.
