GAZA CITY: Israeli forces bombed Gaza City on Wednesday as tens of thousands of Palestinians scrambled for a safe haven following the army ordered evacuation of a vast swathe in the besieged Palestinian territory’s south, AFP reported.
Apache helicopters and Israeli drones hovered over Gaza City’s Shujaiya district, where heavy gunfire echoed through the streets, according to AFP.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed reports suggesting a push for a Gaza truce by some Israeli generals, emphasizing on Tuesday that no ceasefire would be entertained until all Israeli objectives were met, including the destruction of Palestinian resistance and the safe return of hostages.
Israel’s military chief, Herzi Halevi, expressed readiness for a prolonged campaign in Gaza.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 37,953 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the besieged territory’s health ministry reported.
The latest escalation has exacerbated what the United Nations described as a “maelstrom of human misery,” with a significant portion of Gaza’s population forced to flee their homes amid the intensifying conflict.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, estimated that 250,000 Palestinians have been affected by the recent evacuation orders, covering a sprawling 117 square kilometers (45 square miles) in the south, marking the largest such displacement since October.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, warned of the dire humanitarian consequences. He urged for increased humanitarian aid access into Gaza to prevent a worsening crisis.
Sigrid Kaag, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, addressed the UN Security Council in New York, detailing the profound suffering experienced by Palestinian civilians, whose lives have been shattered by the ongoing conflict.
“Palestinian civilians in Gaza have been plunged into an abyss of suffering, their homes destroyed, their lives upended,” Kaag lamented. “The war has created not only a humanitarian crisis but also unleashed a torrent of human misery.”
Amid the relentless airstrikes and military offensives, over 150,000 people have reportedly contracted skin diseases due to unsanitary conditions exacerbated by the conflict, as per the World Health Organization.
Wafaa Elwan, a mother of seven living in a makeshift tent city, described the harrowing conditions her family faces: “We sleep on the ground, on the sand where worms come out underneath us.” Her youngest son, suffering from severe rashes, struggles to find relief from constant itching.
The Israeli military confirmed ongoing strikes throughout the territory, including residential areas in Rafah, which have further exacerbated civilian casualties and displacement.
In the face of international calls for a ceasefire to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, Israeli security officials have reportedly debated the merits of a truce to secure the release of hostages, as reported by The New York Times. However, Netanyahu’s government remains steadfast in its refusal to consider a ceasefire until all objectives are achieved.
“The war will conclude only when Israel accomplishes all of its goals, including the dismantling of Hamas and the safe return of our hostages,” Netanyahu reiterated.
