NAHARIYA, Israel (AP) — Recently, Israel announced preparations to relocate Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza as it advances plans for a military offensive targeting densely populated areas within the territory. The military agency responsible for humanitarian aid to Gaza, known as COGAT, stated that the supply of tents to the region will resume on Sunday. Although the military declined to specify when mass relocations would start, Defense Minister Israel Katz mentioned on social media that discussions are ongoing to finalize a plan aimed at defeating Hamas in Gaza.
As tensions escalate, families of Israeli hostages have called for a “nationwide day of stoppage” in Israel on Sunday to convey their frustration over the ongoing conflict, which has persisted for 22 months. These families are increasingly worried that the impending military offensive could further endanger the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza, of whom only 20 are believed to still be alive. They were devastated by the recent release of videos showing malnourished hostages speaking under duress, pleading for assistance and resources.
The representatives of the hostages’ families are urging the Israeli public to participate in street protests this Sunday. They highlighted their Advocacy for the hostages by stating that “hundreds of citizen-led initiatives” across the country will halt daily activities and unite in the moral struggle to bring all 50 hostages home. Dana Silberman Sitton, whose relatives were killed in captivity, expressed her hope for change arising from the people rather than authority. Her sentiments were shared at a rally in Tel Aviv, alongside Pushpa Joshi, whose brother was among the kidnapped hostages.
In a separate incident, an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Saturday killed a baby girl along with her parents, according to officials at Nasser hospital and local witnesses. The family was attacked in their tent within the Muwasi area, which has been marked as a safe zone. A neighbor expressed anguish regarding the tragedy, questioning what harm such a small child could have posed.
The Israeli military commented on the airstrike, stating that they could not provide details without further information. They emphasized their ongoing operations to dismantle Hamas’ military capacity while taking precautions to avoid civilian casualties. Muwasi is one of the districts where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the military action will be broadened, including areas such as Gaza City and “central camps” like Nuseirat and Bureij.
Nevertheless, the situation is dire, with the Health Ministry in Gaza reporting 11 additional deaths related to malnutrition over the past day, which includes a child. This brings the total malnutrition-related fatalities during the ongoing war to 251. The United Nations has raised alarms indicating that starvation and malnutrition levels in Gaza are currently at their peak since the conflict began, with reports of Palestinians resorting to drinking contaminated water as the spread of diseases escalates. Some Israeli officials have been openly discussing the mass relocation of people from Gaza.
A 20-year-old Palestinian woman, described as severely deteriorating, died after being transferred to Italy for medical treatment. The complications involved in delivering food and other essential aid to Gaza’s over 2 million residents remain significant, hindered by Israeli restrictions and overwhelming demand from desperate Palestinians.
Additionally, the U.S. State Department announced on Saturday that all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being halted while they review the issuance of a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas recently granted. The escalating conflict, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties in Israel, has seen Israeli retaliatory strikes claiming the lives of at least 61,897 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry. While this figure is disputed by Israel, the ministry is recognized by the U.N. and independent entities as a credible source of casualty numbers. Israel has not presented its own casualty figures.
