Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza City enters second day as more civilians flee
Palestinian journalists on the ground reported attacks overnight in Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of people are believed to still reside.
Israel pressed on with its ground invasion of Gaza City on Wednesday as Palestinian journalists on the ground reported continuous fire overnight in all corners of the city, as civilians who have the means continue to flee.
The Israeli military has effectively begun to encircle Gaza City since two divisions of tanks and troops pushed in under heavy fire cover from the air and sea on Monday night. They are expected to gradually push deeper toward the center of the city as they are joined by more forces, an Israeli military official said Tuesday, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.
The U.N. Human Rights Office on Tuesday called on the Israeli military to put an end to its “wanton destruction of Gaza City,” which it said was “destroying the last viable element of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.” The office described the Israeli military strategy in Gaza City as “tantamount to ethnic cleansing” and said that it “appears to be focused on causing a permanent demographic shift.”
The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that it would open a second route for Gaza City residents to evacuate to the south of the enclave, through the Salah al-Din Road which runs through central Gaza, which it will allow to be open for 48 hours.
While tens of thousands of people are estimated to be fleeing every day, many have said that they feel stuck: The cost of transport along the route is exorbitant and few believe they will find anywhere to stay, or even be able to purchase a tent, when they arrive in central or southern parts of Gaza — where Israeli military attacks also continue.
[Source: Washington Post]
