By ordering families to move, Israel is not guaranteeing their survival, but simply giving them the option of dying another way, elsewhere.
I spent the last week in Gaza, where I witnessed a disastrous situation that is becoming catastrophic.
During a visit to a shelter in the south, I met a displaced family desperate for milk for their young baby, whose mother had died, buried under rubble. I met children queuing with hundreds of others to access the toilets. I met colleagues who were working heroically to bring relief to a shelter where they themselves were seeking refuge. These stories of untold suffering are sadly the norm in Gaza, where 1.8 million people – almost 80 percent of the population – are now homeless and seeking refuge wherever they can.
The seven-day break in fighting brought some relief to families, allowing them to search for food, reunite with loved ones and take a break from the relentless bombardment. But it was short-lived.
As humanitarians, we have worked tirelessly to bring in more trucks, to deliver essential supplies to the hundreds of thousands of people still in the north, and to distribute them to children and their families seeking refuge in shelters. Yet this remains insufficient to meet the needs of the 2.3 million people who need life-saving assistance.
As news of the end of the pause spread early Friday morning, hopes for a permanent ceasefire turned to despair. Once again, ambulances transported the injured to hospital, and families already displaced were ordered to move again.
Move to areas that cannot accommodate them.
Moving to areas that do not have adequate infrastructure such as water and sanitation, shelter or access to basic services.
Move during airstrikes, bombings and ongoing combat. And on roads so badly damaged and littered with debris from collapsed buildings that it is virtually impossible to travel with the elderly, sick or disabled.
Moving to areas that are unsafe. Because the reality is that nowhere is safe in Gaza.
Rather than ensuring the safety and survival of families, Israel’s orders to move simply give them the opportunity to die another way, elsewhere. What I saw and heard during my time in Gaza confirmed my belief that there is no “safe zone” there.
It is also contrary to international humanitarian law to forcibly displace a population.
A young child may not understand what is happening, but they see the destruction around them. They see their homes, schools and communities destroyed. They hear everything that is happening around them, the airstrikes, the cries for help. And they feel terror, insecurity and helplessness.
Humanitarians are determined to do everything in their power to protect the rights and preserve the lives of all civilians, especially children. We are guided by humanitarian principles to protect the most vulnerable and protect humanity. The planned expansion of military operations in southern cities like Khan Younis would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences for children, compounded by current restrictions and obstacles that prevent us from doing our work.
We cannot stand by and watch the horror unfold in Gaza. The international community must respect international law, the rules-based global order that was designed to prevent the very violations we witness.
There is only one right thing to do: achieve a permanent ceasefire to protect all civilians and unhindered access for humanitarians to provide assistance to all children in Gaza. If we fail to do this, it will come at the cost of the lives, hopes and futures of all the region’s children, condemning them to be trapped in a continuing cycle of violence.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune.