In response to Hamas terror, Israel is bombing the north of the Gaza Strip – and has urged people there to flee to the south. According to UN estimates, around a million people have fled, but a similar number are still in the north.
After the brutal attacks by the terrorist militia Hamas, Israel has been bombing the north of the Gaza Strip for days – with the aim of destroying Hamas positions. The military leadership asked the civilians to flee to the south of the narrow coastal strip, which was less affected by attacks.
Almost half of the Gaza Strip’s civilian population responded to the call and, according to estimates by the UN Emergency Relief Office (OCHA), is now fleeing to the south. One million people had left their homes by Monday evening, OCHA said.
Trapped in the Gaza Strip
However, the people there do not have many options for refuge because the coastal strip, which is only around 40 kilometers long and is already completely overpopulated, is completely sealed off. And Egypt’s border crossing with the Gaza Strip remains closed.
A third of the people had sought refuge in buildings belonging to the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinians (UNRWA), it said. Others camped outdoors or stayed with friends and relatives. Hospitals are “on the verge of collapse” due to a lack of electricity and now also fuel for generators, OCHA warned. The lives of thousands of patients are in danger. Israel is supplying water again, but only four percent of the amount needed. There was a risk of disease outbreaks.
Hundreds of thousands Palestinians are holding out
In contrast, according to the Israeli military, several hundred thousand Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have not yet followed calls to evacuate. “There are still a few hundred thousand who should go,” said army spokesman Jonathan Conricus. According to information from the Gaza Strip, a total of around 2,800 Palestinians were killed.
Hundreds of thousands Israelis leave border region
In Israel, too, people are leaving the border regions with the Gaza Strip, but also in the north with Lebanon. Within Israel, almost 500,000 people have been brought out of the danger region since Hamas’ major attack, the military said. “We have evacuated the entire south of Israel, all towns near the Gaza Strip, following the government’s instructions (…),” said army spokesman Conricus. “We did the same in the north, where 20 towns near the border were evacuated,” he added.
Most people left voluntarily, the spokesman emphasized. “We don’t want civilians near combat zones,” Conricus said. The aim is to “protect our citizens from the devastating effects of war”. The people found refuge with relatives in the center of the country, “in areas that are safer.” The army spokesman admitted: “The situation in the Gaza Strip is worse.”
Macron condemns demonstration of French-Israeli hostages in video
Hamas murdered at least 1,300 Israelis, including the elderly and children, in its terrorist attack on Saturday. Numerous people have been kidnapped into the Gaza Strip – the fate of most of them is currently unclear. There has been an official sign of life from a hostage since Monday: the terrorist militia itself released a video showing the French-Israeli citizen Mia Shem.
The footage shows a young woman having a wound on her arm bandaged and then speaking directly into the camera. “I am 21 years old and come from Shoham,” says the woman. She was currently in Gaza and was being treated in a hospital there. “Please get me out of here as quickly as possible.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has now called for the immediate release of the French-Israeli hostage. The Elysee Palace in Paris said: “It condemns the disgrace that is the taking of innocent people hostage and its disgusting staging.” The President calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
It was unclear where, when and under what circumstances the video was taken. France is working with its partners to free the French hostages held by Hamas, Paris said. Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna spoke on Sunday with the families whose relatives were murdered or kidnapped, including that of Mia Shem.