While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) engage in a deep and complex battle with Hamas within Gaza, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported a significant movement of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the northern regions of the Gaza Strip to the south. This mass migration, driven by the ongoing conflict, has seen over 70 percent of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents leaving their homes.
According to the international agency, just yesterday, approximately 15,000 Palestinians fled from the northern Gaza area, following a similar exodus of 5,000 the previous day. To reach the safety of shelters in the southern regions, these displaced individuals embark on a challenging journey along the Salah Al-Din road, the main thoroughfare that traverses the Gaza Strip. The IDF has opened a corridor for four hours daily, allowing these civilians to make their way to relative safety.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 7, 2023
Palestinian civilians have reached the Israeli Army lines south of Gaza City.
They are walking along the humanitarian corridor created for civilians moving south & are carrying white flags
The Israeli Army is letting them through to South Gaza pic.twitter.com/eQlqszNluu
Before the outbreak of war, Gaza City was home to around 650,000 residents. However, it appears that the majority have now evacuated. Nevertheless, the UN notes that tens of thousands of Palestinians are still residing in the northern part of the Strip, often seeking refuge in hospitals, schools, and international facilities. Regrettably, many of these facilities have also become shelters for Hamas terrorists, who either occupy the buildings themselves or utilize tunnels beneath them.
Recent reports in the international media have highlighted Israeli efforts to relocate hundreds of thousands of Gazans to refugee camps located on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing in Sinai. As of now, these efforts seem to have yielded little success. Nevertheless, as the Israeli operation in Gaza escalates and destruction mounts, the focus may shift to the southern Gaza Strip. In such a scenario, the stance of Egypt and Western nations, who have expressed concerns about a mass displacement of the region's inhabitants, could change.
Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization controlling Gaza, has swiftly reacted to images depicting the residents of Gaza City fleeing their homes. They have called upon Gazan journalists not to disseminate these images worldwide, claiming that they demean the people of Gaza.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s chief terrorist in Gaza, is "surrounded in his bunker" as Israeli troops advance into "the heart of Gaza City.”https://t.co/55iBpTYKxo
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 8, 2023
One resident of the A-Shati camp in Gaza recounted his experiences during an interview with the Qatari Al-Arabi channel, saying, "We were walking in the streets, filled with fear. We raised our hands, clutching our identity cards. The IDF fired shots, but they did not target us, allowing us to continue our journey." Another resident emphasized that despite their fear, he and others made the deliberate choice to head southward rather than remain in the midst of the conflict. He described the sights along the way as horrifying but praised the IDF for granting them safe passage without harm.
