Jerusalem, Oct 13 (EFE).- Israeli army bombardments on Friday afternoon killed 70 people fleeing to the south of the Gaza Strip, denounced the Islamist group Hamas. This is one of the most deadly attacks on the enclave since the latest war between Israel and the radical Palestinian organization began.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa also confirmed the most recent attacks on three convoys of civilians traveling on Salahedin and Al Rashid streets, two of Gaza’s main thoroughfares, on their way to the southern part of the enclave, after Israeli forces demanded Thursday night the evacuation of civilians from northern Gaza and Gaza City.
The Israeli military informed the United Nations that the entire population of the Gaza Strip north of Wadi Gaza, including UN staff and those sheltering in UN facilities, should move to southern Gaza within 24 hours.
This means the displacement of at least 1.1 million residents of the enclave, half of its population resulted in thousands of people walking or driving to seek refuge in southern Gaza during the day.
On Friday, several United Nations agencies appealed to Israel to rescind the order to evacuate Gaza.
“Forcible population transfers constitute a crime against humanity, and collective punishment is prohibited under international humanitarian law,” said Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.
At least 1,800 people and more than 6,600 wounded have been killed in the enclave. At the same time, the Israeli military announced that it was carrying out a “large-scale assault” on Hamas targets.
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza this week has been the heaviest in the multiple wars it has waged against Palestinian militias over the past fifteen years.
In turn, the total siege imposed by Israel, which prevents access to food, fuel, electricity, water, or any goods, has brought the humanitarian situation in Gaza to collapse.
This has left civilians with food shortages and almost no fuel. At the same time, hospitals have no electricity, medicines, or medical supplies to care for the thousands of wounded. Human rights groups have denounced this method of pressuring Hamas as a form of collective punishment.
Meanwhile, 423,000 Palestinians are sheltering in UN refugee agency schools, mosques, and other religious centers, hoping to avoid the attack. Thousands of men are sleeping in the streets. At the same time, Palestinian residents told EFE that women and children remain in the crowded interiors of buildings. EFE
jma/ics/ar
