Mass exodus in the Gaza Strip continues

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.