Israel-Hamas War: 1.5 million Palestinian civilians forced to evacuate due to Israeli attacks; 10 updates
Israel-Gaza War: Around 1.5 million Palestinian civilians in Rafah, Gaza, were forced to evacuate south due to Israeli attacks. War between Israel and militants, including Hamas and PIJ, began on October 7, 2023. Positive signs of progress in discussions between the US and Israel noted by officials.
Israel-Gaza War: Around 1.5 million Palestinian civilians are currently squeezed into the southern Gaza city of Rafah after repeatedly being forced by Israeli bombardment and ground assaults to evacuate further and further south.
A war between Israel and Palestinian militants, especially Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a land, sea, and air assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip.
What has happened so far?
- The October 7 attack resulted in more than 1,200 deaths, primarily Israeli citizens, making it the deadliest day for Israel since its independence.
- The town, which originally had a population of 2,50,000, is now host to more than half of Gaza’s entire population. They are sheltering in conditions the UN’s top aid official has called “abysmal”, with disease spreading and famine looming.
- In a military onslaught the International Court of Justice has ruled a plausible case of genocide, Israel has so far killed over 29,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Now there are increasing fears Israel’s expected ground assault on Rafah could push civilians across the border into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
- In recent days, the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has validated Egypt’s position. Grandi said displacing Gazans to Egypt would be “catastrophic” for both Egypt and the Palestinians, who, he indicated, would likely not be allowed to return.
- More than 100 people were reported killed early Saturday in overnight strikes across Gaza, as Israel's spy chief was in Paris for talks seeking to "unblock" progress towards a truce and the return of hostages held by Palestinian militants.
- Originally designated as a “safe zone”, Rafah is now being targeted by Israeli airstrikes, as well. Those fleeing the violence have nowhere safe to go.
- Amid the intense conflict in Gaza, a group of lawyers is filing a criminal complaint with the German federal prosecutor against the senior German politicians including the chancellor Olaf Scholz, accusing them of "aiding and abetting" the 'genocide' they say is being committed by Israel in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported on Friday.
- The world’s gaze is on Rafah, the once-sleepy town along the Egyptian border that is likely Israel’s next focus in its fight against Hamas.
- Rafah has swelled in size in recent weeks. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have splayed out across the town in tents or at the homes of friends or relatives. The estimated 1.5 million people sheltering there — more than half of Gaza’s population — have nowhere to flee in the face of an offensive that has levelled large swaths of the urban landscape in the rest of the territory.
- UN officials warn that an attack on Rafah will be catastrophic, with more than 6,00,000 children in the path of an assault. A move in the town and surrounding area also could cause the collapse of the humanitarian aid system struggling to keep Gaza’s population alive. Israel’s Western allies have also expressed concern.
Also Read | Israel-Gaza war: ‘Hamas doesn't represent Palestinian people,’ says US President Joe Biden
US National Security Council spokesman Kirby had told journalists earlier that so far the discussions were "going well", while Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz spoke of "the first signs that indicate the possibility of progress".
(With Inputs from Agencies)
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Business NewsNewsWorldIsrael-Hamas War: 1.5 million Palestinian civilians forced to evacuate due to Israeli attacks; 10 updates
First Published:24 Feb 2024, 12:57 PM IST
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