Israel Prepares Forcible Displacement of Gaza City as Strikes Kill Dozens in ‘Safe Zones’
The announcement of a new mass relocation plan comes amid reports of deadly attacks on civilians seeking aid and shelter, deepening the humanitarian crisis and sparking international alarm.
GAZA CITY – The Israeli military announced on Saturday that it will begin preparations for the forcible displacement of Palestinian civilians from Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center. The move precedes a planned major offensive that has drawn widespread international concern over the fate of the city’s remaining population.
The announcement came as Gaza’s health officials reported at least 40 people were killed in Israel’s latest attacks. These included a strike that killed a baby and her parents in a tent located in an area previously designated by Israel as a humanitarian safe zone.
In its statement, the Israeli military claimed it would provide tents and shelter equipment to residents starting Sunday, relocating them from combat zones to the south of the enclave “to ensure their safety.” However, no specific timeline for the mass displacement was given.
This plan follows an Israeli offensive that has already displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s population, led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, and triggered a full-blown famine, according to the United Nations and humanitarian agencies.
Deadly Strikes in Designated “Safe Zones”
Skepticism over Israel’s safety assurances is high, as the military has repeatedly bombed areas it had ordered civilians to flee to. On Saturday, a deadly airstrike hit a tent in al-Muwasi, a southern coastal area that Israel had previously declared a humanitarian zone.
According to Nasser hospital officials and witnesses, a baby girl and her parents were killed in the strike.
“Two and a half months, what has she done?” asked Fathi Shubeir, a neighbor of the family. “They are civilians in an area designated safe.”
The Israeli military stated it could not comment on the specific strike without more details.
The attack highlights the perilous reality for displaced Palestinians. Al-Muwasi is now one of the most densely populated areas in Gaza after hundreds of thousands were pushed there. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed last week that Israel’s coming offensive would also include al-Muwasi, raising fears that no place in the enclave is safe.
A Deepening Hunger Crisis
The humanitarian catastrophe continues to worsen. According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, at least 13 Palestinians were shot and killed by troops on Saturday while waiting to collect food aid at distribution sites.
Furthermore, the health ministry reported another 11 malnutrition-related deaths in the last 24 hours, including at least one child. This brings the total number of deaths attributed to the Israeli blockade on aid and resulting starvation to 251. Among the latest victims was Mahmoud Suhail al-Dabbeh, a 16-year-old with cerebral palsy who died of malnutrition in Gaza City.
Residents in the city’s eastern Zeitun neighborhood report a sharp increase in airstrikes. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal described a rapidly deteriorating situation for the estimated 50,000 people there.
“The majority of whom are without food or water” and lack “the basic necessities of life,” Bassal said, accusing Israel of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in the area.
The Israeli military maintains that it abides by international law, though numerous international rights groups, including some based in Israel, have accused it of committing genocide.
International Reaction and Logistical Concerns
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed grave concern over the relocation plan, stating it would only compound the suffering of a desperate population. However, the UN body acknowledged Israel’s recognition of the need for shelter and said it would “seize the opportunity” to bring in desperately needed tents and aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, condemned the military’s announcement as a “blatant and brazen mockery of international conventions.”
Meanwhile, frustration is mounting within Israel. The families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas have called for a “nationwide day of stoppage” on Sunday to protest the war and demand the release of their loved ones. They fear a new ground offensive will further endanger the approximately 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
As Israel prepares its next military steps, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are trapped between intensifying bombardment and the prospect of yet another forced displacement into areas that have already proven to be unsafe.
