Israel accuses Hamas of impeding southern Gaza relocation for residents
Israel-Gaza war: The Israeli military has presented photographic evidence alleging that Hamas is preventing people from moving to southern Gaza, amid escalating tensions in the region. These images, released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), depict what they claim are Hamas vehicles obstructing roads to prevent residents from relocating to southern Gaza, a move intended to ensure their safety.
The accusations include the claim that Hamas is employing civilians as human shields, purposefully keeping them in areas where they anticipate Israeli airstrikes. Eyal Hulata, Israel's former national security adviser, commented on this situation, underscoring the grave concerns regarding the use of human shields by Hamas.
This is real.
Hamas is forcefully preventing their civilians from relocating to southern Gaza for their own safety. pic.twitter.com/ykw3YwC3mG — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 14, 2023
The backdrop to this situation is the Israeli military's ultimatum to Gaza Strip residents, urging them to relocate to the southern regions of the coastal territory. This ultimatum was issued ahead of an anticipated large-scale ground offensive by Israeli forces. So far, the IDF has conducted localized raids in Gaza, with a full-scale ground assault anticipated in the coming 24 hours.
The Israeli military has expressed a sense of urgency in its call for Gaza City residents to expedite their departure, emphasizing that they should not delay. However, a spokesperson clarified on Saturday that there was still time for residents to leave and that the ground offensive would not commence immediately.
The recent surge in hostilities was ignited by a mass breach by Hamas militants, resulting in a deadly attack that Israel has likened to the 9/11 tragedy in the United States. In response, Israel initiated a comprehensive bombing campaign targeting Hamas, resulting in a significant loss of life, with over 2,200 casualties in Gaza.
As the situation in Gaza escalates, thousands of residents who are unable to leave the enclave, given the blockade imposed by both Israel and Egypt, have been seen packing their belongings into bags and suitcases. They are braving the debris-laden streets to migrate southward.
A procession of vehicles, including cars, trucks, three-wheeled vehicles, and donkey-drawn carts, are participating in this frantic mass exodus, with families and their possessions crammed into these vehicles, often with mattresses, bedding, and bags secured to the roofs.
The Israeli military reported on Saturday that they had discovered the bodies of some of the numerous hostages taken by Hamas during their attacks while conducting operations within Gaza. Hamas had previously stated that 22 hostages had lost their lives in Israeli bombardments. The situation continues to evolve rapidly, raising significant humanitarian and security concerns in the region.
- With inputs from agencies
