The Israeli military announced on Saturday that tents and other shelter equipment will be distributed to Gaza residents beginning Sunday, ahead of relocating civilians from combat zones to the south of the enclave “to ensure their safety.”
The development follows Israel’s declaration earlier this week that it intends to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center, a plan that has drawn international concern over the humanitarian fallout in the war-ravaged strip of 2.2 million people.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said last Sunday that before any offensive is launched, civilians would be moved to what he described as “safe zones” away from Gaza City, which he called Hamas’ last stronghold.
According to the Israeli military, the shelter supplies will enter Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, with delivery managed by the United Nations and other international relief agencies after security inspections by Israel’s defense ministry personnel.
A spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed deep concern over Israel’s relocation plans, warning that such measures risk compounding the suffering of civilians. However, the spokesperson acknowledged Israel’s decision to permit the entry of shelter equipment, describing it as a critical need: “The UN and its partners will seize the opportunity this opens.”
The UN has repeatedly cautioned that thousands of families already enduring dire humanitarian conditions could face even greater peril if large-scale evacuations from Gaza City proceed. Both Palestinian officials and UN representatives have stressed that no part of the enclave, including southern Gaza, can be considered truly safe.
The Israeli military declined to clarify whether the tents were intended for Gaza City’s roughly one million residents or whether relocation would center around Rafah, the southernmost area bordering Egypt. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated Saturday that operational plans for the new offensive remain under consideration.
The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad condemned the announcement, calling it “a blatant and brazen mockery of international conventions” and an extension of what it described as Israel’s ongoing offensive to occupy Gaza City.
In recent days, Israeli forces have intensified operations on the city’s outskirts. Residents in Zeitoun and Shejaiya neighborhoods reported sustained tank and aerial bombardments, with homes in eastern districts struck by heavy shelling. On Friday, the military said it had launched a new operation in Zeitoun aimed at locating explosives, destroying tunnels, and targeting militants.
The conflict, now in its eleventh month, began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israel says 20 of the 50 remaining hostages are believed to be alive.
In response, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while displacing the vast majority of the enclave’s population, deepening a hunger crisis, and reducing much of Gaza to rubble.
On Sunday, large-scale protests calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages were expected across Israel, with municipalities, businesses, and universities pledging support for striking employees.
Efforts to broker a U.S.-backed 60-day ceasefire and hostage release collapsed last month, though mediators Egypt and Qatar are continuing attempts to revive the negotiations.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.