The latest escalation has further deepened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where 2.3 million people have been repeatedly displaced over nearly 18 months of conflict and now face severe shortages of food and water after Israel suspended aid deliveries earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military ordered residents in all northern border towns to evacuate, citing Palestinian rocket fire targeting Israel. The orders covered Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Shejaia in Gaza City, as well as areas in Khan Younis and Rafah in the south.“For your safety, you must move immediately south to known shelters,” the military said in its directives to Jabalia residents. The refugee camp is the largest in Gaza and has been heavily affected by the ongoing fighting.
Palestinian and United Nations officials, however, maintain that no area in the Gaza Strip is truly safe.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the intensified military operations were aimed at pressuring Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom about 24 are believed to be alive.
Hamas, which has accused Israel of walking away from the ceasefire agreement reached on January 19, said it was engaging in new mediation efforts led by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to restore calm and finalise the three-phase truce deal. However, some Hamas sources indicated that no breakthrough had been achieved.
The latest surge in violence stems from Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli tallies. In response, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza, which has since killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.
