War in the Middle East - Mass exodus in the Gaza Strip continues
Israel's advance against the Islamist Hamas is once again forcing thousands of Palestinian civilians to flee within the sealed-off coastal strip. The evacuation of the central Gaza Strip ordered by Israel is leading to the "forced displacement" of more residents, wrote the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
More than 150,000 people - children, women with babies, people with disabilities and the elderly - have "nowhere to go". Meanwhile, fighting is also continuing in Chan Junis in the south-east. The Palestinian Red Crescent wants to build a refugee camp there, the rescue service announced on Thursday.
Damascus: Israel attacks targets in Syria
Meanwhile, according to information from Damascus, Israel has once again attacked areas in neighboring Syria. The Syrian state news agency Sana reported late on Thursday evening, citing military circles, that Israel's military had attacked "the southern region" from the air. Syria's air defense intercepted some of the missiles fired. There was material damage.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that areas near Damascus airport had also been hit by Israeli missiles. The Israeli military is currently verifying the information. Israel's air force repeatedly bombs targets in Syria. Israel wants to prevent its arch-enemy Iran and its allied militias from expanding their military influence in Syria. Iran is one of Syria's most important allies.
US military shoots down drones and missiles
Meanwhile, the US military reportedly shot down another drone and a missile from the Yemen-based Huthi rebels in the south of the Red Sea. They were fired by the Houthis in the early hours of Thursday evening local time, the US military's regional command announced on X this morning. According to reports, none of the 18 ships in the area were damaged in the incident on Thursday. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea with drones and rockets and have also fired projectiles directly at Israel.
Minister: next phase of the war will be fierce
Despite this, Israel is continuing the fight against Hamas in Gaza. Following a visit to the army's Southern Command, Benny Gantz, a minister in Israel's war cabinet, said that the armed forces were ready for the next phase of the war against Hamas, according to a report on the news website Ynet. This phase will be more powerful than "Hamas imagines", Gantz was quoted as saying on Thursday.
In view of the high number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military operation has been heavily criticized internationally. If Hamas were to remove itself "immediately from all civilians", "the humanitarian crisis will come to an end", said Doron Spielman, spokesman for the Israeli army, on CNN last night. Israel accuses the terrorist organization of deliberately abusing civilians in the Gaza Strip as human shields.
UN warns of famine catastrophe
According to the UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), 40 percent of the population is at risk of starvation. "Every day is a struggle to survive, to find food and water," wrote the Gaza director of UNRWA, Thomas White, on X on Thursday. "The only remaining hope is a humanitarian ceasefire." The sealed-off Gaza Strip is barely larger than the city of Munich.
The Palestinian Red Crescent initially wants to set up 300 tents for displaced families in Chan Junis in the south-east. Later, the capacity is to be expanded to 1,000 tents in order to provide accommodation for hundreds of displaced families in the southern region of the Gaza Strip, the rescue service also announced on X.
Israel suspects that the top leadership of the Islamist Hamas is hiding in Chan Junis. The army is currently concentrating its fighting in this region. The Palestinian Crescent reported that ten people were killed and twelve others injured in another Israeli attack on a building near the Al-Amal hospital in Khan Yunis on Thursday.
Report: Hundreds demonstrate in Israel
Meanwhile in Israel, hundreds of people demonstrated against the war in the city of Tel Aviv, according to an Israeli media report. On Thursday evening, they demanded an end to the fighting, the release of the hostages still being held and an end to the Israeli occupation, according to the Haaretz newspaper. Hundreds also demonstrated in Jerusalem for the release of the almost 130 hostages still being held, according to Israeli information.
Army: poor visibility, tank noise
Following the accidental killing of three hostages in northern Gaza by Israeli soldiers two weeks ago, the military has published new information about the incident. The soldier who initially killed two of the hostages only had a limited view of the hostages, the Israeli army announced yesterday. In addition, two soldiers had not heard the order to cease fire due to tank noise and later shot the third man.
The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history on October 7, in which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups murdered around 1200 people in Israel and deported around 240 others to the Gaza Strip. Israel responded to the devastating terrorist attacks with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, around 21,320 people have been killed so far.
What is important today
The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains catastrophic. Thousands of civilians are once again fleeing the ongoing fighting.
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- The Red Crescent, the Palestinian counterpart of the International Committee of the Red Cross, is actively involved in the evacuation process in Gaza Strip.
- The conflicts in the Middle East continue to create mass exodus, as seen in the Gaza Strip, where thousands are displaced due to conflicts between Israel and Hamas.
- The Red Sea has become a contested area, with the Houthis in Yemen repeatedly attacking ships with drones and missiles.
- The Gaza Strip, under the control of Hamas, has been sealed off, leading to a dire humanitarian situation and forcing people to flee.
- According to the UNRWA, more than 150,000 people in the Gaza Strip, including children, women, the elderly, and people with disabilities, are now displaced.
- The US military has reportedly shot down drones and missiles fired from Yemen by the Huthi rebels in the Red Sea.
- Israel's war cabinet minister, Benny Gantz, has stated that the Israeli military is ready for the next phase of the war against Hamas, which will be more powerful than Hamas expects.
- In Syria, Israel has repeatedly attacked areas to prevent Iran and its allied militias from expanding their military influence.
- Damascus, the capital of Syria, was also targeted by Israel, according to Syrian state news agency SANA, with material damage reported.
- The Houthi rebels based in Yemen have used drones and rockets to attack ships in the Red Sea and directly target Israel, causing concern among the international community.
- Iran, a key ally of Syria, is being targeted by Israel's military to prevent the expansion of their military influence in the region.
- The situation in Palestine and the Palestinian territories is once again at the forefront of international concern, with calls for a ceasefire and an end to civilian casualties.
Source: www.stern.de
