Daijiworld Media Network – Gaza
Gaza, Aug 17: Israel announced on Saturday that residents of Gaza City will be provided with tents and shelter equipment from Sunday, ahead of plans to relocate them southwards as the military prepares for a fresh offensive to seize control of the enclave’s largest urban centre.
The decision comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said civilians would be moved to designated “safe zones” before operations begin in what he called Hamas’ last stronghold. The shelter material will be transported through the Kerem Shalom crossing by the UN and other relief agencies, following inspection by Israel’s defence ministry.
While the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) welcomed Israel’s decision to permit shelter equipment into Gaza, it voiced concern that the planned relocation would only worsen the plight of civilians. “Thousands of families already enduring appalling conditions could be pushed over the edge,” a UN spokesperson warned, stressing that no part of Gaza can be considered truly safe.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said final plans for the Gaza City offensive were still under formulation. However, residents in Zeitoun and Shejaia have already reported days of heavy Israeli aerial and tank fire. On Friday, the Israeli military confirmed launching operations in Zeitoun to destroy tunnels, locate explosives, and eliminate militants.
The militant group Islamic Jihad denounced Israel’s relocation plan, calling it “a blatant mockery of international conventions.”
The war, which erupted after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken, has since devastated Gaza. The Gaza health ministry says more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive, while the vast majority of the population has been displaced, with famine-like conditions spreading.
Meanwhile, protests demanding a hostage release and end to the war were expected across Israel on Sunday, with several municipalities, businesses, and universities supporting a strike. Efforts by Egypt and Qatar to revive a U.S.-backed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal remain deadlocked.