The Israeli army’s assault extends further into southern Gaza, leaving Palestinians with little chance of safety.
Israel has ordered Palestinians to evacuate several more areas as it expands its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of people.
The Israeli military said Monday via the social network X that it was defining “safe zones” for civilians in Gaza to minimize harm to them. However, hundreds of additional Palestinians have been killed since attacks resumed on Friday, and it is unclear where civilians might seek refuge.
Tel Aviv Tribune journalists on the ground say it is difficult to follow orders in real time, since there is no safe place in the enclave.
Israel released a map on Friday dividing Gaza into “evacuation zones” and asking people to follow their announcements for their safety. However, the maps, which include almost 2,500 networks, have caused confusion, while unreliable internet and electricity make updating difficult.
On Monday, an update with three arrows pointing south was released. This instruction comes the day after the Israeli army announced that it had extended its ground operations to the whole of Gaza, targeting “Hamas centers throughout” the enclave.
No safe place
The resumption of bombing follows the end on Friday of a seven-day pause in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters, which allowed an exchange of around 105 Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas for 240 Palestinian prisoners. .
More than 15,500 people have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, during nearly two months of war that erupted after a Hamas cross-border raid in southern Israel on October 7, in which 1 200 Israelis were killed and around 240 taken hostage.
Intense air raids killed more than 100 Palestinians overnight, according to Hamas authorities. This brings the death toll in Gaza since Saturday to more than 800.
Israel has also intensified its attacks on the southern city of Khan Younis, which was previously designated as a safe zone, leading thousands of displaced Palestinians to flee to the city.
“This comes as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes and been displaced,” said Tel Aviv Tribune’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem.
“As the Israelis draw up battle plans for the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the reality is that there is no safe place in Gaza at the end of the 58th day of this war.
“It should be noted that the Israeli army has not demonstrated enormous military achievements or achievements, but rather what we have seen is a terrible humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded inside the Gaza Strip. »
Raids in the West Bank
Israeli security forces also continued raids in the occupied West Bank overnight and early Monday morning.
They targeted the towns and villages of Ramallah, Jenin, Silwad, Jaffna, Jalazoun, Qalqilya and Hebron, arresting dozens of people, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Palestinian officials told Tel Aviv Tribune that at least two Palestinians were killed in the morning during an Israeli army raid in Qalqilya, in the north.
Israeli Army Radio confirmed that two “gunmen” were killed and one injured following a raid in the city.
Local sources told Tel Aviv Tribune that both bodies were taken away by Israeli forces.
From Hebron, Hoda Abdel-Hamid said this was standard practice and that Israeli authorities were holding the bodies of 25 Palestinians killed in raids since October 7.
More than 3,500 people have been arrested, she added, and the majority are being held without charge.
A total of 256 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, including six prisoners who died while in Israeli custody.
