Israel to Relocate Palestinians in Gaza Ahead of New Offensive; UN Warns of Increased Suffering
Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in makeshift shelters in Southern Gaza amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.
GAZA – Israel announced on Saturday its plan to move Palestinians to Southern Gaza as it prepares for a new military offensive aimed at taking full control of the Gaza Strip and defeating Hamas. The announcement has been met with significant concern from the United Nations over the potential for increased suffering in a region already grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis.
The planned relocation is intended to evacuate civilians from combat zones, including Gaza City and the al-Mawasi area, before the new operation begins. To facilitate this, the Israeli military agency COGAT confirmed that humanitarian aid, specifically tents and shelter equipment, would resume on Sunday via the Kerem Shalom Crossing. The move comes as the Israeli government faces mounting domestic pressure, with families of hostages held by Hamas calling for a “nationwide day of stoppage” to protest the expanded military action.
The safety of designated “safe zones” was immediately questioned after an Israeli airstrike on Saturday killed a 7-year-old baby girl, Alaa Al-Toum, and her parents in their tent in al-Mawasi. The incident underscores the dangers facing a displaced population in an active conflict zone.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. On Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 11 additional malnutrition-related deaths in the previous 24 hours, bringing the war’s total to 251. The UN has warned that malnutrition levels are the highest they have been since the war began. The World Health Organization reports that over 14,800 patients require life-saving care outside of Gaza, a need highlighted by the death of a 20-year-old Palestinian woman in an Italian hospital after being transferred for treatment.
In Israel, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum is urging citizens to participate in a nationwide protest on Sunday. The group, representing the families of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages, fears that an expanded offensive will further endanger the captives, only 20 of whom are believed to still be alive. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected these criticisms, stating he has “no choice” but to attack Hamas.
The relocation plan has drawn sharp international condemnation. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad called the announcement a “blatant and brazen mockery of international conventions.” The UN, while welcoming the allowance of tents, stated the plan would “only increase suffering” for Gaza’s 2.2 million residents. In a separate development, the U.S. State Department announced it was stopping all visitor visas for people from Gaza to review its humanitarian visa process.
This new phase of the war began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas attack on southern Israel killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since led to over 61,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
