GAZA CITY (Dispatches) — The Israeli military on Saturday ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to a so-called “humanitarian zone” in southern Gaza ahead of an impending ground invasion aimed at capturing the territory’s largest urban center. 
The designated area, Al-Mawasi, is heavily bombed and crowded, with residents reporting that the “humanitarian zone” offers no real safety. Despite Israeli claims of field hospitals, water, and food supplies, Gaza civilians say the area has repeatedly been targeted by Israeli strikes, with many suffering death and destruction there over the past year and a half.
“We don’t feel safe anywhere,” said Abdel Nasser Mushtaha, a resident sheltering in Gaza. His daughter Samia added, “Wherever we go, death pursues us, whether by bombing or hunger.” Gaza’s people, already battered by relentless airstrikes and blockades, face impossible choices amid mounting violence.
Israel’s siege and bombardment have displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza—over two million Palestinians—and left a humanitarian crisis with severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and shelter. The UN has declared Gaza in a state of famine and warned of a looming “disaster” should the assault continue.
Since October 2023, Israel’s onslaught has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians—mostly civilians—according to Gaza’s health ministry. Buildings, including residential towers like al-Mushtaha, have been destroyed based on unverified Israeli claims that they hide militants. These demolitions have left tens of thousands homeless and devastated infrastructure vital for survival.
Despite international condemnation and warnings that forced displacement and destruction of civilian property amount to war crimes and collective punishment, Israel continues its assault. War minister Israel Katz has threatened escalation unless Hamas disarms, dismissing the catastrophic toll on Gaza’s population.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Palestinian voices condemn the invasion as a war of extermination, saying Israeli leaders are perpetrating crimes against humanity under the guise of security.
The international community faces urgent calls to end the siege and protect Gaza’s civilians from further suffering. Without immediate intervention, the people of Gaza will endure unimaginable loss and hardship as this devastating military campaign continues.