Faraj Ashour, a displaced Palestinian who was forced to flee Gaza City with his family to the so-called “humanitarian zone”, al-Mawasi, spoke to Al Jazeera about their situation.
“If I ask my son to go and get food … I’m sending him to [his] death,” Ashour said.
“Everything the Israelis say is a lie and people believe it. People want some security, but there is none. Even in the south. I would advise people to stay on their land and die there.
“I went to al-Mawasi, but the costs were too high … and it was almost impossible to find a proper spot without paying extra. We stayed two days. During that time, the tent next to us was bombed even in what they call a safe zone,” he said.
“There was no safety. It’s all lies. At first, I believed them, but I realised it was better to return to Gaza City. If they’re going to kill me, may as well be in Gaza City, rather than risk everything in al-Mawasi. The overcrowding was unbearable,” he said.
On Saturday morning, the Israeli Occupation forces called on hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to leave Gaza City immediately, urging them to move south toward Al-Mawasi and central refugee camps as attacks intensify.
This comes after the United Nations General Assembly had endorsed a resolution reviving a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. It also called for Hamas to end its rule in Gaza. Israel and the United States were among the 10 members who voted against it.
Now observers are questioning of what impact the UN resolution will be as the Zionists step up their ethnic-cleansing, seeming unbothered by the overwhelming support of the resolution at the UN. Israel is banking on its support from its key Western partners to provide cover for their ongong genocide.
On Saturday moring, Avichay Adraee, the army’s spokesman, said in a statement that “more than a quarter of a million people” had already fled the city and pressed others to follow.
He claimed Israel was expanding its operations to “defeat Hamas” and that those who relocated would receive “better humanitarian response.”
Palestinian officials say the campaign is designed to empty Gaza City. The government media office said more than 1.2 million people remain despite bombardment and displacement, accusing Israel of trying to force 1.7 million Palestinians into the coastal strip of al-Mawasi and Rafah, which lack hospitals, infrastructure or basic services.
The bombardment comes as part of Israel’s latest ground offensive, dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots 2,” launched Sept. 3 to fully occupy Gaza City. The plan has faced criticism inside Israel over fears it could jeopardize the lives of soldiers and captives held in the enclave.
Israel’s latest evacuation order comes amid relentless bombardment of Gaza, where more than 64,700 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. The offensive destroyed most of the enclave’s infrastructure, and triggered famine that has claimed at least 413 lives, including 143 children.
