UN: Israel has designated two-thirds of Gaza as restricted areas
Recent evacuation orders in Rafah and Gaza City have driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee once more.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israel has now restricted Palestinian access to nearly two-thirds of Gaza by designating large sections as no-go zones or issuing forced evacuation orders.
One of the affected areas is a significant portion of southern Rafah, where the Israeli military issued a new evacuation order on March 31, announcing plans to return and “fight with great force.” Restrictions also extend to parts of Gaza City, where Israeli forces launched a fresh ground offensive on Friday morning to enlarge their so-called “security zone.”
These developments have led to one of the most massive waves of displacement since the war began, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians many already displaced several timesbeing forced to flee once again.
“Our biggest struggle now is displacement,” said Abu Hazem Khalef, an elderly man displaced from eastern Gaza City, speaking to Al Jazeera News. “We don’t know how to manage this situation. I’m heading west of Gaza City, hoping to find a street where I can pitch a tent.”
“We’re being driven out with nowhere to go,” added Mahmoud al-Gharabli, another displaced resident. “We’re exhausted and completely shattered.”
‘Dividing the Strip’
The military escalation comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ramp up the offensive to pressure Hamas into further concessions.
“We are now dividing the Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so they will release our hostages,” Netanyahu said in a video address on Wednesday.
On Friday, Israeli forces carried out more intense airstrikes, reportedly killing at least 30 people since dawn, according to local medical staff and Gaza’s civil defence. This followed heavy bombardment on Thursday that left 112 dead, including many women and children.
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