Israeli military prepares to relocate residents to southern Gaza, spokesperson says

In preparation for their relocation from battle zones to the south of the enclave “to ensure their safety,” the Israeli military said on Saturday that it will begin supplying tents and other shelter supplies to Gaza residents on Sunday.

This comes days after Israel said that it would begin a fresh attack to take over northern Gaza City, the largest city in the enclave. The proposal caused international concern about what would happen to the destroyed strip, which is home to around 2.2 million people.

Last Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the civilian population in Gaza City, which he referred to as Hamas’ final stronghold, would be evacuated to “safe zones” prior to the offensive.

The military claimed that after being examined by representatives of the defense ministry, the shelter equipment will be transported by the UN and other international assistance agencies through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza.Concerned that Israel’s plans to move people to southern Gaza will only worsen suffering, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs voiced this opinion.

But the U.N. body welcomed Israel’s recognition that shelter is a desperate need and that tents and other shelter equipment will be allowed again into Gaza. “The UN and its partners will seize the opportunity this opens,” the spokesperson said.

The U.N. issued a warning Thursday that if the Gaza City plan proceeds, thousands of people who are already dealing with terrible humanitarian conditions may be forced to the breaking point.

No region of the enclave, including those in southern Gaza where Israel has been directing civilians to relocate, is safe, according to Palestinian and UN authorities.  When asked if the shelter equipment was meant for Gaza City’s current population of almost a million people and if the location where they would be moved in southern Gaza would be the Rafah region, which borders Egypt, the military declined to respond.

Plans for the forthcoming offensive are still being developed, Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister, stated on Saturday. The Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, said that the military’s announcement “as part of its brutal attack to occupy Gaza City, is a blatant and brazen mockery of international conventions.”

But throughout the past week, Israeli forces have already stepped up their activities outside of Gaza City. Residents have reported intense Israeli tank and aircraft fire in the Zeitoun and Shejaia neighborhoods.
Israeli tank shelling of residences in the eastern portions of the neighborhood has also caused explosions, according to locals, who have reported them throughout the day.
In Zeitoun, the Israeli military announced Friday that it had launched a fresh operation to find explosives, demolish tunnels, and eliminate militants.