Roving Periscope: On Hamas’ “Day of Rage”, Israel warns Gazans to evacuate
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: On Friday, which Hamas and its sympathizers observed as the “Day of Rage”, Israel asked Gaza City civilians to evacuate within 24 hours and move south, indicating its coming ground attack, while an employee of the Israeli Embassy in China was hospitalized after being mysteriously stabbed in Beijing, the media reported.
Israel is planning its biggest-ever ground assault on the Gaza Strip to turn it into ashes and annihilate the Hamas outfit forever. To give it cover, the West-led G-7 has unequivocally supported Israel. The US Navy also sent weapons to Israel and deployed its ultramodern USD 18 billion aircraft career USS Gerald R Ford in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The United Nations said the Israeli military had informed it that some 1.1 million Palestinians and the UN officials in North Gaza should relocate to the South within the next 24 hours, which the world body called “impossible.”
The UN warned of “devastating consequences” after the Israeli military issued this order, indicating that Israel may soon begin a deadly ground assault in Gaza City. The Israeli military is massing up its troops and tanks near the border.
“Residents of Gaza, move south for your personal safety and your families. Distance yourself from the Hamas terrorists who use you as a human shield. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City in the coming days, and wishes to avoid harming civilians.”
Gaza shares its boundary with Egypt in the south and with Israel in the north and east, but Egypt has closed its border to avoid the influx of Gazans from Rafah Crossings, the media reported.
The UN called the evacuation order a “calamitous situation.”
“The UN considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” it said. The UN moved its operations to southern Gaza and said the order would be applicable even to UN staff and those sheltered in UN facilities like schools and clinics.
Meanwhile, an employee of the Israeli Embassy in China was hospitalized in Beijing after being stabbed. It was not immediately clear what sparked the incident, and who did it.
The attack on the Israeli employee further strained relations between Israel and China, with Israel’s envoy to Beijing expressing “deep disappointment” over Beijing’s failure to condemn the Hamas attack on Israel.
Ambassador Irit Ben-Abba said on Thursday Israel expected China to say much more about the war. While China’s Foreign Ministry later said it was “saddened” by the casualties, Beijing hasn’t criticized Hamas in its statements, only saying that the Asian country is a “friend to both” sides of the conflict.
At least 1,200 people have died in Israel and another 1,400 in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas invasion began on October 7, a Saturday. Besides, the bodies of 1,500 Hamas terrorists were found in the Israeli territory, the government claimed. Nearly 160 others dragged across from the Israeli side are still being held hostage by Hamas in the densely populated habitations of the Gaza Strip.
Israel has imposed a “complete” siege on the Gaza Strip, cutting off water, fuel, and electricity supplies. The Palestinian territory’s sole power plant shut down on Wednesday after running out of fuel. Israel has vowed that it won’t allow humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas releases the hostages.
The raging conflict prompted several countries to evacuate their citizens from Israel. India brought the first batch of 212 citizens back from Israel on Friday morning on a special flight under “Operation Ajay”. Flights have been arranged to facilitate the return of those unable to do so because Air India suspended its operations to and from Israel. The government is bearing the cost of their return.
Syria and Lebanon-based and Iran-support Shia terror group Hezbollah on Thursday became new challenges for the Israeli military. Israel targeted Syria’s two main airports (Damascus and Aleppo), grounding flights and putting the airports out of service. It also exchanged artillery fire with Hezbollah.
Israel and Palestinian groups have fought several wars since Hamas took power in Gaza in 2007. The latest violence erupted a day after Hamas said that the “people had to draw a line to end the occupation” and added that Israel continued to commit crimes across Palestinian land, especially on the holy site of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. The terror group’s October 7 invasion was codenamed “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.”
Vowing to annihilate Hamas, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday, “Now is a time for war.”
