An estimated 150,000 Palestinians are being forced to flee areas of central Gaza as Israeli forces advance on refugee camps in the region. Tanks have reportedly reached the eastern outskirts of Bureij camp, with Israel’s military expanding its ground offensive to target Bureij and nearby Nuseirat and Maghazi camps.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment has resulted in the deaths of dozens of people across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. In an attempt to stop the fighting, Egypt has proposed a three-stage plan that concludes with a ceasefire.
A Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo to provide its response to the proposal. The war was triggered by a cross-border attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on October 7th, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of approximately 240 others.
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Over the course of the 11-week conflict, more than 21,300 people – mostly children and women – have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry. The Israeli military has called for the evacuation of a strip of land stretching across central Gaza, which includes Bureij and Nuseirat camps.
The almost 90,000 residents and 61,000 displaced people in the affected areas have been instructed to move southwards to the town of Deir al-Balah. However, the United Nations has warned that there is nowhere for them to go, as Deir al-Balah is already overcrowded with several hundred thousand displaced people seeking shelter there.
The town of Rafah has seen approximately 100,000 new arrivals in recent days as Israeli ground forces have pushed into new neighborhoods. Witnesses and survivors have shared their experiences of being forced to flee their homes.
Omar, 60, spoke of fleeing Bureij with at least 35 members of his family, saying, “That moment has come, I wished it would never happen, but it seems displacement is a must. We are now in a tent in Deir al-Balah because of this brutal Israeli war.”
Tom White, Gaza director for UN relief agency UNRWA, highlighted the increasing number of people being pushed into the already overcrowded town of Rafah, stating that they are being forced into a very small strip of land that cannot support them.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that 20 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a building in Rafah that was reportedly housing displaced civilians. Other Israeli strikes on Thursday resulted in the deaths of 50 people in Maghazi, Beit Lahia, and Khan Younis.
The deadliest incident occurred in Beit Lahia, where 30 people were killed when a block of four residential buildings was destroyed. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 10 people were killed by Israeli shellfire near al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed that they are targeting Hamas terrorists and infrastructure in the Bureij area. Witnesses have reported heavy fighting in the area, with Israeli tanks advancing on the densely populated Bureij camp from the north and east.
Hamas has posted a video showing its fighters targeting Israeli soldiers and vehicles. In Israel, thousands of teenagers participated in a march to demand the return of over 100 hostages still being held by Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
Many of the demonstrators were from the communities most affected by the October 7th attacks. Meanwhile, UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called on Israel to stop what he calls “unlawful” killings in the occupied West Bank.
A UN report has verified the killing of 300 Palestinians by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since October 7th.
While the situation in central Gaza continues to escalate, efforts to reach a ceasefire and end the violence are ongoing. The displacement of thousands of Palestinians and the destruction of homes and infrastructure highlight the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
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