Israel plans to move residents from Gaza to the southern region
In a significant development, Israel has announced a plan to evacuate around 1 million Palestinians from Gaza City and its immediate surroundings. This move is part of a broader offensive aimed at disarming Hamas and taking control of Gaza City.
The Israeli government's security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has approved this plan as the first phase of occupying the entire Gaza Strip. The operation, expected to take several months, is framed as necessary to defeat Hamas, disarm the group, and secure a perimeter to hand governance over to Arab forces other than Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
The plan emphasizes providing humanitarian aid to civilians relocated outside combat areas, indicating a concern for their protection during military operations. However, this forced displacement presents significant logistical and humanitarian challenges due to the large population involved.
The escalating Gaza conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, has resulted in around 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages being taken to Gaza. Thousands of people have protested in Israel, demanding an end to the Gaza war and the release of hostages from Hamas' custody.
Despite months of indirect negotiations aimed at securing the release of the hostages and ending the conflict, no progress has been made. The aim of the Gaza war remains to capture the city of Gaza and central refugee camps to dismantle the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.
The exact location of the relocated Palestrians is not specified, but it is known that the evacuation will take place in the south of the Gaza Strip. The military body Cogat has announced the delivery of tents and equipment for accommodations will resume on Sunday.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US are acting as intermediaries between Israelis and Hamas, with media reports mentioning attempts at contact and exploratory talks aimed at reviving the negotiating process. The powerful Histadrut labor federation did not join the strike call on Sunday, but the organization of hostage relatives plans to paralyse Israel with a strike on that day to gain attention for their demands.
Sunday is the first working day of the week according to the Jewish calendar, suggesting the strike call on that day may have a significant impact. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic due to the war, and the relocation is intended to protect civilians and minimize civilian casualties during the operation.
The Commission, in the midst of the Gaza conflict, is also proposing to increase the number of EU-funded projects in the field of education, aiming to provide opportunities for the relocated Palestrians. Meanwhile, politics surrounding the war-and-conflicts, general-news, and international relations continue to unfold, with Egypt, Qatar, and the US acting as intermediaries between Israelis and Hamas in an attempt to revive the negotiating process.
