The people of Gaza live in a rain of bombs and food supplies are limited. They cannot leave the region: the only border crossing into Egypt not controlled by Israel is closed.
The Israeli army has now called for a mass evacuation in the northern Gaza Strip: “The army calls on all Gazans to leave their homes in the south within 24 hours for their own safety.”
Media spokesperson Dieter Wüthrich of aid organization Heks speaks of an order that is “hardly enforceable”. “There are constant bombings. People can hardly move freely in this life-threatening situation.”
In addition, streets throughout the Gaza Strip have been devastated by the airstrikes and are strewn with rubble. “People can’t just get in a car and drive south.” There would also be no accommodation in the south. Moreover, in recent days, many people have fled from one location to another in the Gaza Strip to seek safety.
In Gaza, about 2.3 million people live in an area about the size of the canton of Schaffhausen. “Imagine if hundreds of thousands of residents had to be evacuated there in a very short time. That is hardly feasible.”
Egypt closed its only border crossing in Rafah on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip indefinitely after airstrikes on Monday. Egypt has offered to allow fuel to pass through Gaza, but Israel has refused. “And even if Egypt were to open its borders, evacuating so many people would remain an almost impossible task,” says Wüthrich.
The supply of electricity, fuel, water and food was cut off after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the “total isolation” of the Gaza Strip. Humanitarian aid cannot be provided at this time. The Gaza Strip is completely closed. “There is no access for aid deliveries,” says Wüthrich. Supplies of previous relief supplies are likely to run out soon. The hospitals are on the verge of collapse.
“There must be a ceasefire or at least a cessation of fighting so that humanitarian aid can be provided at all,” Wüthrich estimates. In this way, the borders could be opened and people could be provided with relief supplies. “You must not forget that the conflict that led to this catastrophic situation did not just start in recent days,” Wüthrich emphasizes. Ultimately, the victims are the civilians on both sides – again.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
