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The Washington Post: Israel’s military has ordered over 1 million Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate amid escalating airstrikes and preparations for a ground invasion aimed at ending Hamas rule. The militant group, Hamas, had previously launched an attack on Israel, resulting in over 1,300 deaths and taking numerous hostages into Gaza. However, the United Nations warns that the evacuation is “unfeasible” and could worsen an already dire humanitarian situation. Exits to Israel and Egypt are closed, and the military operations have resulted in over 1,500 deaths, a third of which are children, and 6,600 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Hamas has advised citizens to stay, dismissing Israel’s warnings as a “psychological war.” In response, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that the responsibility for any harm to Gaza residents now lies with Hamas. Despite the crisis, Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel, most of which have been intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.
International organizations and policy experts have criticized the evacuation order as potentially constituting a war crime and “a license to kill.” Tensions are also high in the occupied West Bank, where demonstrations and increased violence are expected.
Amid the crisis, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region to discuss the situation and efforts to prevent the conflict from widening. Israel has struck 750 military targets overnight, according to the IDF, while Hamas reports that 13 of its hostages have been killed by airstrikes within the last 24 hours.
The entire article can be read at the link https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/13/israel-gaza-hamas-war-west-bank/
