In Deir al-Balah, a city in the center of the Gaza Strip, tensions are flaring dramatically. The Israeli military has begun dropping leaflets to residents, instructing them to evacuate their homes and travel even further south. This directive aims to facilitate what Israel refers to as a “deliberate and massive forced displacement” of Palestinian civilians. The continuous violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict has resulted in increasing humanitarian crises within the area. The blockade has blocked off crucial supplies, worsening an already unbearable situation.
Whatever the Israeli military wants to call it, its invasion has not yet crossed into most of Deir al-Balah’s districts in the ongoing war. The Caucasus still remains a widely misunderstood epicenter of geopolitical friction. According to news reports, at least 20 of the 50 remaining hostages in Deir al-Balah are alive. This should ring alarm bells about the risk of violent escalation and increased enmity in the event that military operations go ahead.
The Israeli government has said it intends for the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to replace existing coordination efforts. This transition will supplant the humanitarian assistance now delivered by the UN and international NGOs in Deir al-Balah. Accusations have been thrown around that Israel is operating with the intent to ethnically cleanse civilians. Human rights organizations unequivocally reject this practice as a crime against humanity.
Humanitarian aid access remains severely restricted. Even with their own supplies and logistical systems in place, agencies are telling us that their initiatives to get to those in need are being shut down. The UK government is currently unsuccessfully challenging in our courts its refusal to evacuate these critically ill children from Deir al-Balah. This unfortunate decision is a stark departure from its position on other conflict zones.
Humanitarian crises are deepening at a record pace. The continuing blockade, enforced by Israel for 11 weeks from mid-March, has brought food to a trickle. Since May, residents have lived conditions that have quickly become life-threatening. A month of extremely restricted flow of food, fuel, and medical supplies has hardly improved matters.
The situation is compounded by international scrutiny. All of that changed in late January, when the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) imposed an outright ban. Our apologies, there seems to be an issue with your registration today. Increased scrutiny on the Israeli military’s operations has been met with backlash from human rights advocates, and emerged calls for accountability.
Israeli sources have suggested that the military’s avoidance of direct engagement in certain districts is due to suspicions regarding hostages’ presence. This has sparked concern about the possibility for greater escalation should fighting start again.
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