The Israeli military on Tuesday ordered residents in Gaza City to leave immediately as it intensified its deadly attack in the Strip.
It said it would act with “great force” in Gaza City if Hamas did not free the last hostages it holds.
“To all residents of Gaza City … the defense forces are determined to defeat Hamas and will act with great force in the Gaza City area,” the military’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X.
“I say to the residents of Gaza, take this opportunity and listen to me carefully: You have been warned — get out of there!” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The orders by the Israeli military to leave the Palestinian territories’ largest urban center have caused panic as the 1 million residents have nowhere to go amid Israel’s ongoing attack in the region.
“Despite the bombardment in the past week, I have resisted leaving, but now I will go to be with my daughter,” said Um Mohammad, a 55-year-old mother of six.
Most of Gaza’s 2 million residents have been displaced multiple times since October 7, 2023. Some 64,000 people have been killed, 20,000 of them children, acccording to the Gaza Health Ministry. International organizations like the UN believe that the actual death toll may be much higher but cannot be confirmed due to lack of access to the area.
Israeli defense minister orders demolition of homes in West Bank
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the demolition of homes in the occupied West Bank hometowns of two Palestinian gunmen who attacked a bus stop in Jerusalem.
He also called for the revocation of work permits for hundreds of people from the villages and the suspected attackers’ relatives.
The gunmen, thought to be from the towns of Qatanna and Qubeiba north of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, opened fire at a bus stop outside Jerusalem on Monday, killing six people. The gunmen were killed at the scene of the attack.
Katz said the “civil sanctions” include the demolition of structures in the town built without permits and the revocation of work permits for 750 people.
Israel has argued that demolishing the homes of relatives of attackers and their fellow villagers deters future attacks.
Palestinians and human rights groups consider the practice a form of collective punishment, prohibited by international law.
‘Cease committing war crimes,’ Israeli rights group says
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel called on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to instruct the Israeli military and the Defense Ministry not to impose collective punishment on the suspected gunmen’s relatives and neighbors.
“Collective punishment is prohibited under both Israeli law and international humanitarian law. Such actions are war crimes,” the rights group told the attorney general, according to reporting from the Times of Israel. “We ask you to instruct the Defense Ministry and the army to immediately cease committing war crimes.”
The Yesh Din civil rights organization sent similar letters to the attorney general and military leaders on Monday after media reports of planned punitive actions by the Israeli military.
“International humanitarian law absolutely prohibits collective punishment without exception,” the organization said.
Israel claims attack on Hamas officials as blasts heard in Doha
Explosions have been heard and smoke was seen rising in the Qatari capital Doha.
Israel’s military, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), says it conducted strikes targeting the “top leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the IDF said.
Reuters news agency said an Israeli official had confirmed that the strikes had targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar.
Source: DW.com
