Gaza Faces Renewed Evacuation Orders Amid Fresh Strikes, Aid Efforts Remain 'Drop in the Bucket'
Gaza City, Palestinian Territories – Rescuers in Gaza are reporting over 50 fatalities as Israel issues new evacuation warnings for parts of Gaza City and surrounding areas, intensifying its offensive even as limited aid begins to trickle into the besieged territory. The latest developments highlight a grim reality for Gaza's 2.4 million residents, most of whom have already been displaced multiple times since the war began.
The Israeli military, in an Arabic-language statement on Thursday, declared it was operating "with intense force" in 14 northern Gaza Strip areas, including parts of Gaza City and the Jabalia refugee camp. A map accompanying the warning indicated a red-marked zone, with the army accusing "terrorist organizations" of operating there and urging civilians to move south. This follows a similar evacuation call issued for northern Gaza late Wednesday, which the military stated was in response to rocket fire.
Hours before these renewed warnings, the United Nations announced it had begun distributing approximately 90 truckloads of aid in Gaza – the first such delivery since Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres, confirmed the UN "collected around 90 truckloads of goods from the Kerem Shalom crossing and dispatched them into Gaza." The Hamas government media office in Gaza reported the arrival of 87 aid trucks, earmarked for "urgent humanitarian needs" by international and local organizations.
Despite this limited inflow, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he was open to a "temporary ceasefire" to free hostages but reaffirmed the military's aim to bring all of Gaza under its control, stressing the need to "avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action." However, UN agencies and aid organizations, including the World Food Programme (WFP), maintain that the amount of aid entering Gaza is "far short of what is required" and merely a "tiny drop in the bucket" compared to the scale of the crisis.
"Some aid is finally reaching Gazans in desperate need, but it's moving far too slowly," said Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Programme. Displaced Palestinians like Umm Talal al-Masri, 53, in Gaza City, described the situation as "unbearable," while Hossam Abu Aida, 38, expressed a greater fear of "hunger and disease" for his children than Israeli bombardment.
Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defense agency reported "52 martyrs and dozens injured as a result of air strikes carried out by the occupation" across the territory on Thursday. AFP footage showed plumes of smoke rising from northern Gaza. The Israeli military has not commented on any specific strikes on Thursday.
The intensified Israeli offensive has drawn significant international criticism. EU foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to review the bloc's cooperation accord with Israel, a move Israel's foreign ministry stated "reflects a total misunderstanding of the complex reality Israel is facing." Sweden announced it would press the EU for sanctions on Israeli ministers, and Britain suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,218 people, has led to a devastating toll in Gaza. According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 53,762 people have been killed, mostly civilians, including 3,613 since Israel resumed strikes on March 18. Of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas, 57 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military believing 34 to be dead. Netanyahu suggested Israel would be ready for a "temporary ceasefire" if it could free hostages, noting at least 20 captives were still believed to be alive.
The war has also seen a global surge in antisemitic attacks, with a recent incident in Washington on Wednesday where a gunman shouting "free Palestine" killed two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum.
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