The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, identifies that 142,000 Palestinians have been coerced into leaving their homes since Israel recommenced its military campaign against Gaza on March 18.
“Fueled by scant personal possessions, the exodus finds many takers sheltering on streets, in dire need for essentials such as food, hydration, and refuge,” the agency communicated in its late Tuesday proclamation.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry’s assertion on Wednesday, Israeli strikes in the span of a single day inflicted at least 39 fatalities, including minors, and injured 124 inhabitants across the Gaza Strip. The strikes were reported in areas including Jabalia in the north, as well as Khan Younis and Rafah in the southern region.
In Jabalia, aerial assaults by the Israeli military targeted and destroyed a home crowded with civilians, claiming the lives of at least eight, including a six-month-old infant among the victims.
A residential flat within the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza was also hit, costing the life of a child.
“This night has marked sheer devastation; Israeli forces continue to bombard densely populated central and northern areas of Gaza,” stated Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.
“Residents here are tremendously fearful of forthcoming actions, as no progress has been seen in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas,” he added.
Displacement Tally Rises
Per OCHA, approximately 250,000 Palestinians currently reside in areas marked for evacuation, which include Rafah, Khan Younis, and northern Gaza, encompassing over 50,000 at 240 internal displacement facilities.
Al Jazeera journalist Hani Mahmoud, based in Gaza City, detailed the exodus: “Displaced individuals seek any haven that might offer a semblance of protection for survival.”
“Crowded into tent sites, deteriorating evacuation centers, they lack even the most fundamental essentials to endure the displacement fallout – hunger, dehydration, trauma – predominantly, the incessant dread of being targeted within their shelters,” he relayed.
The central driver of displacement stems from Israel’s evacuation directives and the decimation of homes and infrastructure. Since the war restarted, the Israeli military has issued six evacuation advisories, affecting nearly 15% of Gaza’s territory.
Humanitarian Assistance Under Threat
Gaza’s dwindling water supply is on the brink of collapsing entirely should fuel reserves deplete, severing inhabitant’s access to clean water, as MSF warns.
The medical NGO’s declaration comes as Israel’s siege completes its 25th day. MSF indicates that the lack of safe water access already gravely affects public health.
“The sheer prevalence of children suffering from skin ailments is directly attributable to the destruction and blockade of Gaza,” stated Chiara Lodi, MSF’s medical team coordinator in Gaza.
“In addition to treating severe war injuries in adults and children, our staff are dealing with an upsurge of children afflicted with entirely preventable skin diseases like scabies, which, besides being uncomfortable, can lead to severe scratching until skin breaks, risking infection in severe instances,” she explained.
The siege commenced on March 2 following Israel’s failure to honor the ceasefire agreement and sought to extend the initial phase of the three-stage accord that expired—without committing to ending the conflict in Gaza.
Beyond the civilian lives lost, OCHA notes that at least eight aid workers have been killed in Gaza since Israel resumed its assault last week, raising the total number of casualties since the ceasefire breach to 399.
