By Mohammed Majed
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army on Sunday demanded Palestinians evacuate an area east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, an area previously classified as a “humanitarian area.”
“To all residents and displaced people in the Deir al-Balah neighborhood in Block 128 within the marked area on the map, forces will operate aggressively … in your area,” Avichay Adraee, an army spokesperson, said on X.
“For your safety, evacuate immediately to the western area (of Al-Mawasi),” he added.
The army spokesperson clarified that the designated area is considered a "dangerous combat area."
Later, the Gaza government media office confirmed that the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital “is not within the red zone defined by the occupation (Israel).”
Several times during the 10-month war on Gaza, Israel has ordered mass evacuations to “safe” or “humanitarian” areas.
Human rights groups and international observers decried the inhumanity of the orders and the mass suffering caused as a result. In addition, Palestinians often found themselves attacked by Israel en route to such “safe areas” as well as after they reached such zones.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The onslaught has resulted in over 40,300 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.
An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala