Gaza crisis gets worse as Israel evacuates north of the region
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The Gaza Strip is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis as Israel continues its intense bombardment for the 11th consecutive day, affecting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
Despite earlier warnings to move south, Israel is persistently targeting southern areas in Gaza, putting the population at grave risk, reported Al Jazeera.
A critical issue is the shortage of water, with United Nations officials warning of a potential "real catastrophe." People in Gaza have already been grappling with severe water scarcity, limiting their ability to drink, shower, and do laundry. Basic supplies, including baby formula and flour, have become scarce, leaving supermarkets empty.
One major concern is the collapse of water and sanitation services, with Gaza's last operating seawater desalination plant shutting down. Fuel reserves in hospitals are also running dangerously low, endangering the lives of numerous patients.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment has resulted in a substantial number of casualties, with over 2,800 people, including 1,000 children, killed. Furthermore, more than 10,000 individuals have been wounded, many still trapped beneath the rubble.
The current onslaught by Israel began after Hamas, the Palestinian resistance movement in Gaza, initiated an attack just outside the territory on Israeli land. In response, Israel has killed at least 1,400 people in Gaza and injured more than 4,000.
In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israel's military actions have claimed the lives of 61 Palestinians in the past 11 days, with seven of them killed by settlers.
In a concerning development, Israel has commenced evacuating residents from 28 predominantly Jewish communities near the Lebanese border due to escalating tensions with the Hezbollah group. These events are raising the risk of a larger regional conflict.
Hamas has disclosed that they are holding around 250 captives in Gaza, and 22 of them have lost their lives due to Israeli bombardment. The group also mentioned that they are detaining non-Israeli captives and are willing to release them when the situation allows.
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said that Israeli captives are being held in the hopes of getting back around 6,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Israel has conducted a significant number of arrests in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, detaining 680 Palestinians since October 7. Alarmingly, 25% of those arrested include children and elderly individuals. Israel has recently amended its military orders in the occupied territories, making it easier for its forces to arrest Palestinians on mere suspicion under the Unlawful Combatants law.
