Israel calls for northern Gaza to be emptied within 24 hours

Gaza City, Palestinian Territories – AFP

Israel has called for the immediate relocation of 1.1 million people in Gaza amid its massive bombardment in retaliation for Hamas’s attacks, with the United Nations warning of “devastating” consequences.

The UN said the mass relocation of the entire population in northern Gaza to the south of the enclave was “impossible” and urgently appealed for the order to be rescinded.

The UN said it had been informed of the order shortly before midnight Thursday, six days after Hamas fighters killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and took about 150 hostages in the deadliest attack since the country’s creation in 1948.

Israel has retaliated by raining air and artillery strikes in Gaza for six days, claiming more than 1,400 lives and displacing over 400,000 people in the crowded enclave.

It is preparing for a possible ground invasion of the Palestinian territory after what has been labelled Israel’s 9/11.

The Israeli army confirmed Friday it had called on Gaza City residents to evacuate to the south.

UN officials working in Gaza said earlier they were informed by the Israeli military “that the entire population of Gaza north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours”.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told AFP that amounted  to around 1.1 million people, adding that the order also applied to all UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities –- including schools, health centres and clinics.

“The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation,” Dujarric said, before Israel’s confirmation.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, reacted angrily to the UN saying its response to the warning to Gaza residents was “shameful!”

“For many years, the UN has turned a blind eye to the arming of Hamas and its use of the civilian population and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip as a hiding place for its weapons and murder,” Erdan said in a note from his office to AFP.

– Egypt refuses to help Gazans –

There are 2.4 million people living in Gaza who are now enduring the fifth war in 15 years in the coastal enclave.

Israeli fighter jets and drones have flown above Gaza in a relentless bombardment that has levelled entire blocks and destroyed thousands of buildings.

More than 423,000 people have already fled their homes in Gaza, according to the UN.

Cairo faced calls to allow safe passage for fleeing civilians, but Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday urged Gazans to “stay steadfast and remain on their land”.

Israel has cut off water, food and power supplies to Gaza in a siege it has vowed will not end until all hostages are freed.

“Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,” Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said.

Hamas has threatened to kill hostages if Israel bombs Gaza civilian targets without advance warning.

– Hospital morgues –

The International Committee of the Red Cross Middle East chief Fabrizio Carboni warned Gaza’s hospitals “risk turning into morgues”.

At the biggest, al-Shifa Hospital, there were chaotic scenes Thursday of an uninterrupted stream of ambulances, relatives asking for news and wails of anguish from relatives of the dead.

An AFP team saw dozens of bodies wrapped in white shrouds in cold storage units and covering the floor of the mortuary.

In his first public remarks since Hamas attacked Israel, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called for an “immediate end to comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people”.

The UN humanitarian agency has launched an urgent appeal for nearly $300 million to address the most urgent needs in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.