Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza is producing a horrific humanitarian catastrophe, one that Israeli and U.S. officials claim was intended. Since mid-August, over 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced from north to south, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported. The Israeli army has announced that northern Gaza is still a “combat zone,” calling on civilians to move south. This mass displacement order has escalated terror among those fleeing, as many have been targeted during their attempted escape.
Gaza City is the epicenter of the cycle of violence, being targeted with almost no military infrastructure, with devastating and deadly impacts. The city is a ghost of its former self. Reports indicate that dozens of people are killed every day, as verified residential buildings and schools have been bombed in the continuing violence. As of September 9, the Israeli army has issued a mass displacement order for all of Gaza City. This move sparked a huge increase in the out-migration from the area.
Tens of thousands of other Palestinians have sought safety in southern Gaza after evacuating from the north. The region is now heavily congested, with hundreds of thousands of displaced people packed into crowded enclaves. Israeli military spokespersons continue to warn that anyone attempting to return to Gaza City today is endangering their lives. This escalation further complicates the already difficult lives of those who have previously fled the region.
Amid this violence there have been signs that an otherwise unlikely ceasefire could come to pass. Hamas seems to have agreed to most of a 20-point plan laid out by the White House. This plan rightly begins with the critical step of releasing all captives without precondition. His statements follow President Donald Trump calling on Israel to “hold off” on bombing that enclave after Hamas partially accepted the terms of the ceasefire deal. The Israeli army has called an “advance readiness” order for the first phase of Trump’s plan to deal with the captives. This welcome decision coincides with other encouraging developments in the region.
Aerial bombardments throughout Gaza persisted well into Saturday, though they were reported to be less severe than the previous days’ onslaughts. Hospital officials reported at least 20 fatalities due to Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn, underscoring the severe ongoing violence.
“We were waiting for this good news. We were waiting for Hamas to accept and for our lives to become as nice as it was before, or even better,” – a displaced Palestinian.
The Israeli military deeply encircled all of Gaza and still viewed Gaza City as an exceptionally hazardous combat zone. The situation remains dire for many as they navigate the complexities of displacement and the uncertain future that lies ahead.
