Ahmed Atef, Agencies (Rafah, Cairo)
Thousands of Palestinian civilians fled in a miserable procession from the northern Gaza Strip, yesterday, in search of refuge from Israeli air strikes and fierce ground fighting, while battles between the Israeli army are concentrated in Gaza City in the northern besieged Strip, after the war entered its second month with worsening humanitarian suffering for hundreds of thousands. Palestinians.
The exodus occurred within a four-hour deadline announced by Israel, in which it asked residents to evacuate the area or risk being caught in the middle of violence.
But the central and southern parts of the besieged sector also came under fire. Palestinian health officials said that an air strike hit homes in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 18 people yesterday morning. In Khan Yunis, six people, including a young girl, were killed in an air strike.
An eyewitness named Muhammad Abu Daqqa said that an F-16 air strike suddenly hit a house and blew it up entirely, and three neighboring houses while they were sitting in peace. He added that the residents are all civilians, including an elderly woman and man, and that there are others still under the rubble.
Israeli army forces completely surrounded Gaza City. The army said that its forces were advancing towards the heart of the densely populated city.
Palestinian officials said that 10,569 people have been killed so far, 40 percent of whom are children. Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the United Nations World Health Organization, said in Geneva that the level of deaths and suffering was “difficult to comprehend.”
Witnesses said that thousands of Palestinians fleeing the north made their way anxiously in a long procession, passing through buildings destroyed by bombs. The Israeli army had told them that they had to move south of the swamps of Wadi Gaza along the main Salah al-Din road. It is not clear exactly where they will end up, given that the massive numbers of displaced Gaza residents of 2.3 million people are already crowding schools, hospitals and other sites in the south.
Thousands more remain inside the besieged northern area, including the main Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Israel attacked Gaza by air, land and sea, and used ground forces to divide the narrow coastal strip in two in fierce fighting amid the rubble of buildings in urban areas.
In addition to the death and destruction that surrounds them from all sides, the Palestinians suffer from a major shortage of water, especially food, and medicines, while hospitals in need of fuel continue to suffer.
Footage taken by an Agence France-Presse correspondent showed a number of residents still in Gaza City, queuing in front of tanks in order to obtain water.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his rejection of a ceasefire unless the hostages are released.
He said in a televised speech: “Fuel will not be allowed to enter, and there will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages.”
Informed sources reported mediation efforts to release 10 to 15 hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for a ceasefire for one or two days in the Gaza Strip.
The violent bombing operations led to the internal displacement of 1.5 million people, especially after the Israeli army warned residents of the northern Gaza Strip to head to its south.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, described the Rafah land crossing between Egyptian and Palestinian territories as the gateway to life for the Gaza Strip, and during a visit to the crossing yesterday, he was informed of the availability of all capabilities, including ambulances and evacuations from the Gaza Strip, which include: Holders of dual citizenship and nationals of foreign countries. During an inspection visit to the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side yesterday, Volcker discussed with the Egyptian officials at the crossing the arrangements being made to bring in aid trucks, and the Egyptian state’s preparations to facilitate their access to the Palestinian side and prepare ambulances to transport the wounded from Gaza upon their arrival in North Sinai, as well as the evacuation and crossing of foreigners coming from sector.
In turn, the media official at the Rafah crossing, Dr. Ahmed Hosni, revealed in statements to Al-Ittihad that efforts are continuing to keep the Rafah crossing open, as it is the only port of entry for relief and medical aid sent by several countries.
Dr. Ahmed Hosni explained that in addition to the fact that the continued opening of the crossing is important so that hundreds of infected people can cross in order to receive treatment, as well as for the travel of stranded foreigners and those holding Arab and foreign passports.
In addition, the Palestinian Crossings Authority announced that a number of holders of foreign nationalities would be allowed to cross from the Gaza Strip, in addition to 107 Egyptians, and asked them to go to the Rafah crossing to enter Egyptian territory, while more than 40 trucks were preparing to be allowed to cross after coordination between crossing officials from both sides.
According to informed sources who spoke to Al-Ittihad, there are efforts being made to facilitate the process of crossing aid, by pushing for the revival of an agreement dating back about 18 years, specifically in 2005, regarding the issue of crossings between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which stipulates that the European Union is a party to an “international quartet.” It mediates between Palestinians and Israelis regarding the crossings.
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