Israeli eviction orders caused thousands of Palestinians to hastily abandon their homes in central Gaza Strip on Monday, thereby escalating the already severe humanitarian crisis in an area overflowing with individuals escaping warfare in the south. Hamas, the Islamic group, blamed Israel for thwarting a ceasefire by adding novel terms to an old truce proposition during ongoing negotiations mediated internationally.
Throughout nearly 10 months of tumultuous battle, Israeli forces have now conquered almost the entire Gaza Strip and are currently directing their forces in regions they had previously sworn to rid of Hamas militants. Deir al-Balah, a small, central city that remains the single large area not yet attacked, is becoming increasingly overcrowded as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians seek refuge from the conflict erupting in the ruins of Khan Younis further towards the south.
This recent surge of displacement is causing intense tension in Al-Bureij, a region northeast of Deir al-Balah, after Israel ordered its residents to evacuate on Sunday. Ensuing Israeli air strikes killed eight people in Khan Younis, with extended firefights on the ground featuring Hamas, Israeli troops, and the Islamic Jihad in Rafah near the Egyptian border, as well as in the suburb of Tel Al-Hawa in northern Gaza city.
The situation worsens as the Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, declared a public health emergency due to a polio outbreak in the aftermath of virus detection in sewage samples. In addition, the Israeli military issued further orders for evacuation of certain districts in Bureij on Sunday, causing the mass exodus of thousands and the demolition of many homes.
Relocating with only their remaining possessions, some families made use of donkey carts and rickshaws, while many journeyed several kilometres by foot to seek refuge in Deir or al-Zawayda towns in the west. According to Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of Unrwa, the United Nation’s aid agency for Palestinians, just 14% of Gaza strip wasn’t under evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military. These evacuations occurred quite recurrently, with very short notice periods given to the people.
Although Israeli PM Netanyahu has endured successive protests from his own people demanding a ceasefire and the release of the remaining 100-plus hostages in Gaza, observable progress seems elusive in the negotiations spearheaded by Egypt and Qatar. These discussions are to resume following the return of Israeli dignitaries from recent deliberations in Rome. The US, the talks’ main supporter, has continuously suggested that an agreement is imminent, with the latest discussions revolving around a plan put forward by President Joe Biden in May.
However, new conditions were part of the latest Israeli counter-response, according to Hamas. Their Monday statement accused Netanyahu of resorting to his typical tactic of stalling and evasion to avoid a settlement by imposing fresh terms. Aya Mohammad, a 30-year-old Gaza city local currently in Deir, expressed a rising despair, doubting the validity of the proposed truce: “I anticipate my end here… It’s impossible to predict which one of us will perish first.”
There has been a detection of polio in the region, according to the Gaza health ministry, previously believed to be eradicated from the enclave, posing a potential health peril to inhabitants and their neighbouring nations, and hampering worldwide efforts to annihilate the disease. As per the World Health Organisation, polio is currently native to just Pakistan and Afghanistan, but 35 countries, including Egypt next to Gaza, run the risk of experiencing outbreaks. Reactively, Israel offered vaccinations to soldiers stationed in Gaza last week.
Poor sanitation, compounded by the scarcity of water, has led to more health-related issues. Numerous displaced individuals suffer from skin ailments, while children contend with persistent weeping, unwillingness to eat, or are resistant to breastfeeding, detailed by Hussam Abu Safiyah, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza.
The conflict originated from an attack on Israel’s south by Hamas-controlled combatants on 7th October previous year, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and taking nearly 250 people hostage, as per Israeli records.
Following this, Israel’s forces have taken the lives of over 39,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, based on the data provided by the local health departments, which doesn’t differentiate between combatants and non-combatants, but acknowledges that more than half of those killed are women or children. According to reports, Israel has had about 330 of its soldiers die in Gaza, with their claim stating that one-third of the deaths they have caused comprise fighters.
Hamas maintains its stance that the war’s conclusion in Gaza is mandatory for them to consent to a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Mr Netanyahu has consistently iterated that the only resolution to the conflict is the defeat of Hamas. – Reuters