Israel continues its genocidal war in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Update on the situation this week in Gaza, as the Israeli army declared that it would not allow displaced Palestinians from northern Gaza to return to their homes.
By Palestine Media Agency, November 8, 2024
KEY FIGURES in Gaza since October 7, 2023:
43,204 dead
101,641 injured
1.9 million displaced
The violent Israeli offensive on northern Gaza, which has lasted for more than a month, continues, despite numerous calls from the international community which described the situation as “apocalyptic”. In addition to this brutal siege, the Israeli army continues its genocidal war across the entire Gaza Strip. Al Jazeera reports that since this morning, Israel has killed more than 17 Palestinians, including 13 in northern Gaza, 4 in Gaza and 2 in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
The siege of northern Gaza
On November 4, the United Nations and its partners estimated that around 100,000 people had been displaced in four weeks from the north to Gaza City, and that between 75,000 and 95,000 people remained in the besieged area. The Palestinian Civil Defense (PCD) estimates that at least 1,300 Palestinians were murdered during this offensive.
In addition, OCHA reports that many civilians were killed as they attempted to evacuate north of An Nuseirat, in Deir al Balah, to the south, in a context of escalation of hostilities, including airstrikes and bombings.
Describing the situation in northern Gaza as “apocalyptic”, the directors of 15 humanitarian and United Nations organizations and consortia renewed their call to all parties fighting in Gaza to protect civilians, calling on the state to Israel to “stop its assault on Gaza and on the humanitarians who are trying to help it”. Noting that basic aid and vital supplies have been withheld while bombings and other attacks continue, the heads of state and government stressed that “the blatant disregard for basic humanity and the laws of war must stop”, that attacks on civilians and remaining civilian infrastructure must cease, that humanitarian aid must be facilitated, and that commercial goods must be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.
Refugees from the north flock to Gaza City
Civilians who are resigned to leaving northern Gaza arrive in Gaza City and settle in newly created refugee camps. However, these camps are already overflowing, and there are no more tents for the new arrivals.
“More than 350 families have arrived from the north and there are not enough tents to accommodate them. » explains Muhammad Saada, deputy director of the travel center. The camp was established by several charitable initiatives but is not adequately supplied, and is quickly becoming unlivable as families seeking shelter continue to arrive.
Refugees from northern Gaza describe the scenes of horror they experienced, and numerous testimonies denounce inhuman treatment by the Israeli army on roads designated by it as “safe.” » to evacuate.
“A woman suffering from cancer was standing on the side of the road, accompanied by four children,” says Jinan Suleiman, 18, who has just arrived in Gaza City. “She was carrying two of them in her arms, and the other two were on the ground, crying and screaming with hunger. She asked for help from everyone who passed near her. She was screaming and saying: ‘I have cancer, I can’t carry my children and my bags.’ She wanted someone to pick up her children, who were lying on the ground, but I, like everyone else, passed by her and couldn’t help her. (…) The soldiers were lying in wait for us, shooting under our feet and preventing us from helping others or stopping for any reason. »
“On the way, the injured walked together and bled; they fell in the middle of the road and no one helped them,” says another refugee. “There were children who had lost their families and others who had gotten rid of their bags to be able to continue walking and survive. The army deliberately made us walk on a rough road in order to exhaust us and kill us on the way.”
Fears of land seizures come true
On Tuesday, November 5, an Israeli army spokesperson, Yitzhak Cohen, declared during a press briefing that the army was on the verge of carrying out a complete “evacuation” of the population of northern Gaza , and affirmed that Palestinian residents of the north will not be allowed to return to their homes. This statement marks the first official admission by Israel of its intention to permanently expel Palestinians from the northern Gaza Strip.
Last week, however, the Israeli army declared that it had ended most of its “operations” in northern Gaza and that it would soon end its offensive in this region. Yitzhak Cohen’s latest announcement therefore reinforces fears that Israel aims to seize land in northern Gaza by implementing the “Generals’ Plan”, a proposal from a group of high-ranking Israeli generals which aims to empty Gaza of its population through a systematic campaign of famine, massacres and forced displacement.
“They want to destroy the north,” explains Umm Omar Salman, a teacher who fled her home to seek refuge in Gaza. “Especially the border area, Beit Lahia. This is where we come from. We held on until the last moment, when we discovered dozens of tanks surrounding the school shelters. The soldiers took us out by force. »
Unlivable Gaza
In a report, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) warns of the dangers posed by the very environment of Gaza following the continuous bombardments by Israel for more than a year. The latest analysis by the UN Satellite Center (UNOSAT), carried out in early September, showed that more than 65% of all structures in Gaza had been either damaged or destroyed.
Thousands of civilians continue to be forced to repeatedly move, survive amid rubble and shelter in unsafe locations, including damaged or destroyed buildings. In addition to the risks linked to incessant Israeli bombings, famine and epidemics, Palestinians live in dangerous and unstable areas, where many explosive remnants are buried in the ground and rubble.
The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) recalls that contamination by explosive remnants of war is likely to occur both on the surface and below the surface, involving not only land service munitions (projectiles , mortars, rockets, missiles, grenades and land mines), but also deeply buried bombs. UNMAS also warns that access difficulties do not allow their teams to fully assess the extent of the risks and prevent them.
The UNDP also warns that highly carcinogenic asbestos released into the air due to the widespread destruction of infrastructure, as well as other contaminants, will continue to affect communities in Gaza for a long time.
