Israel to Consider Civilians ‘Terrorist Accomplices’ If They Stay in North Gaza

Israel has ordered the evacuation of Al-Quds hospital, which is housing more than 400 patients and 12,000 displaced civilians

by Dave DeCamp Posted on October 22, 2023

https://news.antiwar.com/2023/10/22/israel-to-consider-civilians-terrorist-accomplices-if-they-stay-in-north-gaza/

The Israeli military has told Palestinian civilians living in north Gaza that if they don’t evacuate to the south, they will be considered “an accomplice in a terrorist organization,”

The warning was made in threatening leaflets dropped by Israeli drones on Saturday. “Urgent warning, to residents of Gaza. Your presence north of Wadi Gaza puts your life in danger. Whoever chooses not to leave north Gaza to the south of Wadi Gaza might be identified as an accomplice in a terrorist organization,” the leaflets said, according to Reuters.

Israel previously ordered the evacuation of northern Gaza, an area that’s home to 1.1 million people. Since Gaza is under blockade, the only option for Palestinians in the north is to flee to the south, which is also under constant Israeli bombardment.

Some Gazans have fled to the south, while others have refused to leave their homes or have sought shelter at hospitals, hoping they will not be targeted in the Israeli onslaught, but Israel is ordering hospitals to be evacuated. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Israel ordered the evacuation of Al-Quds hospital, which is housing more than 400 patients and 12,000 displaced civilians.

Since Israel has unleashed its bombing campaign on Gaza in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack, at least 4,651 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 1,756 children, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. On the Israeli side, at least 1,405 people have been killed.

Gazans are also suffering from food and water shortages due to the Israeli siege. A limited number of aid trucks have been allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt, which included medical supplies but no fuel to power hospital generators. Aid agencies have said the aid that has been let in is just a “drop in the ocean” for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.