13 October 2023
Israel’s ultimatum that 1.1 million people in the north of Gaza must evacuate south is sowing fear and panic among the civilian population, and will have grave humanitarian and health consequences. People in these areas fear their choice is to stay in their homes, flee, or die. If Palestinians cannot flee, or refuse to flee, they remain civilians and do not become legitimate military targets.
Among those that Israel intends to flee are children, the elderly, people with disabilities and the wounded. Gaza‘s largest hospital, Shifa Hospital, is in the north, overflowing with the wounded. Intensive care units and the Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)-supported neonatal intensive care unit are filled, and it will be impossible to remove these most vulnerable of patients.
There are very real fears in Gaza that this is the first step toward an attempt to push Palestinians out and into Egypt. Given the Palestinian experience – and that 70% of people in Gaza are themselves refugees – many fear this will become another permanent expulsion.
MAP’s CEO, Melanie Ward, said: “The international community must immediately demand that Israel rescind its warning and ensure Palestinian civilians are protected from attack. They should remember their Responsibility to Protect against atrocity crimes, including ethnic cleansing.”
Our colleagues in Gaza are frightened. Incredibly, some are still out distributing the supplies we have been able to procure locally amid the bombardment. They need your help. The time to act is now.
Please give an urgent donation to our emergency appeal today.
Photo: Israeli airstrikes destroy a building belonging to the Al-Alaklouk family in the Al-Nasr Street area, west of Gaza City. (Credit: Mohammed Zaanoun).
