Israel Prepares for Offensive in Gaza City as International Red Cross Warns of Mass Evacuation Impossibility

Israel is preparing to curtail airdrops over Gaza City and limit the entry of relief trucks, a source revealed to media outlets, as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed doubts about the feasibility of Israeli plans for mass evacuation.

The Israeli military aims to seize control of Gaza’s largest city after nearly two years of conflict, despite mounting domestic opposition and concerns that the offensive will result in catastrophic and unbearable consequences for Palestinians residing in the besieged region.

Protests demanding a ceasefire have erupted in Tel Aviv, with families of hostages being held in Gaza condemning the government for their refusal to consider the latest ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas nearly two weeks prior.

Over the past few days, Israeli military forces have launched heavy bombing and ground attacks on Gaza City, reports say, leading to the disruption of essential services and leaving hundreds of thousands of people confined in an increasingly constricted area.

At least 47 fatalities were reported in Gaza City on Saturday according to hospital figures.

An Israeli airstrike on Al-Nasr Street in the west of the city resulted in at least 15 Palestinian deaths, including six children, local health officials stated.

CCTV footage from a hospital courtyard depicted a row of lifeless children swathed in floral shrouds. Family members mourned over their tiny bodies, including a toddler wearing a grey onesie adorned with dinosaur prints.

“I don’t understand what happened,” one man told media outlets. “These children were innocent. What was their crime?”

Media outlets have reached out to the Israeli military for comment.

Another Israeli attack on a building housing displaced Palestinians in Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City resulted in at least seven fatalities, according to Gaza Civil Defense on Saturday.

Video footage from the scene shortly after the attack showed numerous dazed children smeared with blood and dust. One individual lay motionless in the street, his head fractured open in a pool of blood, while a boy was carried away on an improvised stretcher.

The Israeli military informed media outlets that the attack targeted a “key Hamas operative” and claimed multiple precautions were taken to minimize harm to civilians.

On Friday, the military declared Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” in preparation for the impending offensive, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated will target what he terms one of Hamas’ remaining strongholds.

This week, Israeli drones patrolled several areas within and surrounding the city to drop leaflets advising people to evacuate to the south of Wadi Gaza, a watercourse that cuts through the Strip.

However, the ICRC has expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of executing such an evacuation safely and with dignity under the current conditions. The organization warned that malnourished, disabled, and injured Palestinians would be incapable of relocating.

Hamas accepted a proposal for a 60-day ceasefire two weeks ago, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to consider it. The proposal entails a 60-day truce, the release of ten living hostages, as well as eighteen deceased hostages. In return, Israel would free a number of Palestinian prisoners.

According to sources familiar with the planning, the security cabinet will not discuss the proposal during their scheduled meeting on Sunday. The security cabinet also did not discuss the proposal at its previous meeting.

“If it appears to be sabotage, if it sounds like sabotage – it’s probably deliberate sabotage of the hostage deal,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated.

One hostage’s mother warned that if Netanyahu decides to invade Gaza City and ignore the current ceasefire proposal on the table, he will be “responsible for the bloodshed of Israeli citizens.”

Speaking at an anti-war protest, Einav Zangkauer vowed to ensure that Netanyahu is “charged with premeditated murder” if her son, Matan, does not return alive from Gaza.

Zangauker has become one of Netanyahu’s most vocal critics, publicly criticizing him for his refusal to accept ceasefire deals that she believes could have facilitated Matan’s release from Hamas captivity.

More than a million people are displaced in the central and western parts of Gaza City alone, a municipality spokesperson stated on Saturday, expressing concern over the dire conditions.

“We anticipate a significant increase in casualties if the occupation expands its military operation,” said Asem Alnabih. “We face a total collapse of services, as the occupation continues to prevent the entry of fuel and the machinery we need.”

A senior UN official warned this week that residents within Gaza City, who already face physical exhaustion, hunger, malnutrition, and fatigue, are also under constant threat of bombing, weakening their ability to make life-or-death decisions.

“These people are facing death,” Sam Rose, the acting director of affairs for the UN’s agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza told media outlets. “They’re now threatened by invasion. They’re being terrorized 24 hours a day.”

The Israeli military has announced plans to discontinue ten-hour “tactical pauses” in hostilities, which began a month ago following severe aid restrictions, siege, and bombing that resulted in deadly starvation within the enclave.

Further aid restrictions are likely to exacerbate Palestinians’ predicament. Nearly 700 days of war have brought “man-made” famine to parts of Gaza, the Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification reported last week. Israel has rejected the IPC’s findings and called on the body to retract its report.

One young woman displaced with her family in Tal al-Hawa, western Gaza City – including six siblings aged three to 18 – told media outlets she has lost 16 kilograms (35 pounds) since hostilities commenced.

“The international community watches this genocide and famine, yet does nothing,” Raghad Ezzat Hamouda, a Palestinian student, stated.

“We are human beings,” added Hamouda. “Our children are dying of hunger in front of the cameras.” In the past 24 hours, an additional ten people died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza, bringing the total to at least 332 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, according to the health ministry’s report on Saturday. Of those who died, 124 were children, the ministry added.

Israeli airstrikes following Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023 have resulted in the deaths of 63,371 Palestinians and injuries to another 159,835 people, according to the Ministry of Health within the enclave.