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After the surprise attack of Hamas in Israeli territory on October 7, Israel declared war on the Palestinian Islamic movement and began bombing Link incessantly. The Israeli army ordered hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the north of the enclave to head south because it was unsafe to remain in their homes. But this Monday Israel extended its ground operation to the south as well, after asking civilians to leave. Now, many do not know where to flee, as Palestinians are increasingly trapped.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli army released leaflets with evacuation orders in several districts of Khan Yunisurging the population to abandon them immediately further south, close to the border with Egypt.
LOOK: What did the Hamas hostages say?: They ate bread and rice, slept on chairs and waited hours to go to the bathroom
The military then warned civilians to avoid the main north-south highway between Jan Yunis and the central city of Deir al-Balah. He stated that that road had become a “battlefield” and was “extremely dangerous.”
FOR Jan Yunis Hundreds of thousands of people who escaped from northern Link at the beginning of the war.
According to United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA)almost 1.9 million people, More than 80% of Gaza’s total population has been displaced since the beginning of the war.
Almost 1.2 million of these internally displaced people were taking refuge in 156 facilities in the UNRWA throughout Link. The vast majority, almost a million people, take refuge in facilities in the center and south of Linkin places like Jan Yunis It is Rafa.
This Monday, Dozens of Israeli tanks entered southern GazaClose of Jan Yunis, which had a population of 460,000 before the war. Troop transport vehicles and excavators also entered, confirmed the AFP agency.
“The tanks are already on the Salaheddin road” which crosses the Gaza Strip from north to south, a witness, Moaz Mohammed, 34, told AFP.
Israel believes that the leaders of Hamas they hide Jan Yunis. One of them would be Yahya Sinwarhead of the Palestinian movement in Gaza, which is from that city.
On Sunday night, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari, He confirmed that his country would extend its military operations “across the Gaza Strip”.
This new phase of the land offensive occurs at the same time as the Intensified shelling in southern Gaza since December 1when fighting resumed after a seven-day truce that served as a hostage exchange Hamas by Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons.
Only on Sunday, the attacks of Israel caused at least 316 deaths and 664 injuries, according to figures reported to the United Nations by the Gaza health entity controlled by the Hamas.
“The army operates everywhere Hamas “It has bastions,” declared the Hagari.
The EFE agency exemplified the drama that displaced when presenting the case Ashraf al Nahalwho together with his wife and ten children had to leave their home in the refugee camp of Al-Shatiin the north of the strip, to seek refuge in the Gaza Citythe center of the Palestinian enclave.
When Gaza City It was reduced to rubble by bombings and surrounded by the ground forces of Israelfled to the south of the enclave, specifically to Jan Yunis.
But now this Jan Yunis was evaluated by Israel as a “dangerous combat zone”, Ashraf al Nahal and his family will have to leave again.
The shelters in Link They are already overworked and very Israel like the neighbor Egypt They refused to accept refugees.
What is more, Israel banned the return of those who fled the northeven during the ceasefire in force until a few days ago.
“My family and I began to wish for death…at least we would be at peace. Why stay alive if, in any case, we will only live so that the Israelites want us dead? “If we were already dead, at least we would be free from all this misery and pain,” he said. Ashraf for EFE.
Halima Abdel Rahmanwidow and mother of four, said she stopped following evacuation orders in Israel. In October, he fled his home to an area on the outskirts of Jan Yuniswhere he was staying with relatives.
“The (Israeli) occupation tells you to go to this area, so they bomb it,” he told the AP agency by phone on Sunday. “The truth is that nowhere is safe in Gaza. They kill people in the north. They kill people in the south”.
Those who will leave Jan Yunis They will have to move to Rafacity located close to the border with Egypt which has also been bombed regularly.
“The roads leading south towards Rafah are clogged with cars and donkey carts full of people and their few belongings.”said Thomas White, director of UNRWA.
EFE explained that in Rafa Hundreds of thousands of displaced people already live in overcrowded conditions, many outdoors in the middle of winteramid the outbreak of epidemics, the collapse of hospitals and shortages of water, food, medicine, electricity and fuel.
According to the AP agency, The United States is pressuring Israel to avoid further mass displacements and killings of civilians.
On Saturday, the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harriswho participated in the COP28 climate summit in DubaiI say that The United States would not allow the forced relocation of Palestinians out of Gaza or the occupied West Banknor the redrawing of Gaza’s borders.
“Israel You have the right to defend yourself. “But we must also keep in mind that many Palestinian civilians, innocent people, have lost their lives, and it is imperative that Israel does more to protect innocent civilians,” he said. Harris at a press conference in Dubai.
“No to forced displacement, no to reoccupation, no to siege or blockade, no to reduction of territory and no to using Gaza as a platform for terrorism,” Harris emphasized.
It should be noted that U.S promised unwavering support Israel since the October 7 attack.
Israel rejected the suggestions of U.S that control of the Link from post-war to Palestinian National Authority internationally recognized as part of new efforts to resolve the global conflict through the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Over the weekend, hopes for another truce in Gaza faded after Israel He called his negotiators. These conversations were coordinated by Qatarwith the support of Egypt and the United States.
Hamas said negotiations on the release of more hostages must be linked to a permanent ceasefire in Link.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
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