DayofPal—Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned Israel’s “deceptive” evacuation directives, accusing the Israeli army of intentionally misleading civilians into displacement to central and southern areas of the enclave, only to bombard those same locations.
Since the forced displacement from Gaza City began on August 11, at least 1,903 Palestinians have been killed in 133 separate Israeli strikes on central and southern Gaza, accounting for nearly 46 percent of all deaths reported in the Strip during that time, according to an official statement from the Media Office.
“These numbers confirm that civilians are being directly targeted despite having complied with evacuation orders,” the statement read. “The international community’s silence is enabling further massacres.”
Correspondents in central Gaza reported a significant uptick in Israeli attacks over the weekend. “Just in the past few minutes, we had confirmation of a family evacuating in a vehicle when it was struck by a drone missile. Four people were killed instantly,” Hani Mahmoud reported to Al Jazeera.
He described a scene of chaos and terror, with hundreds of people fleeing on foot and in vehicles under constant threat from drone and jet attacks. “Israeli drones and fighter jets are chasing people from one place to another,” he added.
Amid those evacuation threats, the medical system in Gaza, already on the verge of collapse, is also facing new pressure as hospitals continue to come under direct attack.
On Saturday, the Jordan Field Hospital in Gaza City was forced to evacuate its 107 patients and full medical staff after intense bombardment.
Dr. Khalil Digran of Al-Aqsa Hospital accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting the Al-Rantisi Paediatric Hospital, the only specialised facility for children in Gaza.
“Gaza City and the north are now left with just two partially functioning health facilities: al-Shifa and Al-Ahli,” he said.
Conditions in southern and central Gaza are deteriorating rapidly. Overwhelmed hospitals are receiving waves of injured civilians, many requiring urgent care that is simply unavailable.
With basic supplies like anaesthetics and antibiotics running out, and medical staff themselves going hungry, the remaining hospitals are stretched far beyond capacity.
“In some cases, two patients are being placed in a single hospital bed,” said a displaced Palestinian currently sheltering in central Gaza.
Mohammad Khoudary, who was forced to flee his home with his family, spoke of the toll the displacement has taken on his father. “He has become very weak and dehydrated. We’re hoping they can transfer him to Al-Aqsa Hospital,” he said.
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