GAZA CITY: The Israeli military announced the opening of a temporary new evacuation route on Wednesday to allow civilians to flee Gaza City during its ongoing major ground assault against Hamas.
This development follows a massive pre-dawn bombardment on Tuesday that saw Israeli troops push deeper into the Gaza Strip’s largest urban centre.
The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry simultaneously accused Israel of committing genocide in the Palestinian territory, specifically naming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials for inciting the crime.
Israeli military spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee stated the new corridor along Salah al-Din Street would remain open for only 48 hours starting from midday local time.
Previous evacuation instructions had directed civilians south along the coastal road toward designated humanitarian zones including parts of Al-Mawasi.
United Nations estimates indicated approximately one million people resided in Gaza City and its surroundings as of late August.
The Israeli army reported over 350,000 people had already fled southward, though many Gazans expressed reluctance to leave despite the dangers.
Umm Ahmed Yunes, a 44-year-old resident living in a partially destroyed home, questioned where she would find the one to two thousand dollars required for transport costs and tents.
“Death is cheaper and more merciful,“ she stated regarding the impossible financial burden of displacement.
Mother of four Fatima Lubbad described her family’s unbearable ordeal after fleeing with ten relatives only to sleep on the ground by the sea in Deir el-Balah with no space for tents.
The Israeli military confirmed striking more than 150 targets in Gaza City since launching its ground operation on Tuesday.
Israel’s campaign, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people according to AFP tallies, has resulted in at least 64,964 Palestinian deaths according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Military estimates suggest 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas militants remain in central Gaza City with approximately 40% of residents having already fled.
Hamas condemned the assault as “systematic ethnic cleansing targeting our people in Gaza” while Gaza’s civil defence reported at least twelve people killed by Israeli fire early Wednesday.
The UN commission chief Navi Pillay stated “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur” though Israel categorically rejected what it called a “distorted and false report”.
Qatar and China joined international criticism of Israel’s operations, with China condemning “all acts that harm civilians and violate international law”.
Pope Leo XVI expressed “deep solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza who continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions”.
The evacuation route opening follows Israel’s September 9 strikes in Doha that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar’s emir on Tuesday to request the Gulf nation continue mediating Gaza negotiations despite recent tensions. – AFP