Shelters Overwhelmed As Israeli Military Widens Offensive in Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israel escalated its military offensive in central Gaza, intensifying strikes in key residential areas while urging Palestinian civilians to seek refuge, yet the narrow zones of safety are becoming overwhelmed due to the devastating impact of airstrikes.
Israeli forces expanded their offensive in central Gaza, targeting the Bureij and Maghazi refugee camps, along with the city of Deir al-Balah. Urging residents to flee, these areas witnessed heightened strikes over the weekend, culminating in a deadly toll.
Amid the ongoing conflict, a tragic event unfolded late Sunday as a Gaza residential block in Maghazi became the site of an Israeli strike claiming 70 lives. Al Jazeera aired distressing footage capturing the chaos and frantic attempts to rescue survivors from the rubble.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported an influx of casualties at the overwhelmed Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. Khalil al-Degran, a local doctor, described the dire situation, stating, "You can't even walk in the corridors," with numerous shrouded bodies lining the hospital's floors.
For Rami Abu Azara, who sought refuge in Bureij with his family, uncertainty and fear loom large. Forced to flee their northern Gaza home, they face overcrowded shelters and a grim reality. "All the shelter centers in the central regions are crowded, and our fate will be on the street," he lamented.
The confusion compounded as Israeli military instructions to evacuate areas lacked clarity, encompassing regions like Nuseirat, causing further disarray among already distressed Palestinians. The lack of communication infrastructure added to the difficulties faced by those attempting to escape the conflict's reach.
UN official Thomas White condemned the situation, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the Israeli army's directives, noting, "No place is safe, nowhere to go." The Palestine Red Crescent Society evacuated numerous casualties following strikes, while the Gaza Health Ministry reported a staggering death toll of 166 in 24 hours, pushing the war's total deaths in Gaza to 20,424 since October 7.
The recent Israeli escalation of war follows a UN Security Council resolution calling for humanitarian pauses, a resolution on which the United States abstained. However, the dire situation persists, with acute food insecurity reaching catastrophic levels and the looming threat of famine gripping the civilian population.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification warned of worsening conditions in Deir al-Balah and central Gaza, where humanitarian access remains severely constrained by the ongoing conflict. Palestinian residents, like Anwar Islah, express despair at the imminent danger, grappling with the choice between severe overcrowding in shelters or risking displacement, which could mean repeated encounters with death.
In the midst of this turmoil, Abu Azara and others in Bureij cling to hope, hoping to avoid the advance of Israeli troops. Fearing a fate akin to previous evacuees, they remain trapped in a heart-wrenching dilemma, torn between the risks of displacement and the threat of remaining amidst escalating Israeli violence.
