Palestinians flee Deir al-Balah in central Gaza as Israeli attacks continue (Photo by EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images)
Parts of the central Gaza province of Deir al-Balah came under renewed siege by Israeli forces on Wednesday, with tanks blocking roads and leaving frightened civilians fighting for survival in an ever-shrinking “safe zone.”
More than a million Palestinians had sought shelter in the dangerously overcrowded city, city authorities had previously stated.
Families were forced to flee their emergency shelters under heavy tank and drone fire and spent the night empty-handed on the beach or on the side of the road.
It follows Israel’s recent evacuation orders calling on the population to leave Deir al-Balah, where the military has been operating since the weekend.
Israeli forces said they had been involved in fighting with armed Palestinian groups and had “destroyed dozens of terrorist infrastructure facilities, detected rockets and eliminated terrorists” in the region.
A resident told Reuters The news agency said he and five other families fled Deir al-Balah on Wednesday evening when drones “started firing at the tents.”
Dozens of people were killed at the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital after an Israeli attack hit the Al-Maghazi refugee camp on Wednesday evening.
UK-registered aid group ActionAid said its partner organisation WEFAQ was forced to cease operations and evacuate on Wednesday due to the danger posed by the increasing Israeli offensive.
This included the closure of a key food distribution camp and an internally displaced persons shelter that housed staff and their families.
According to ActionAid, Israel’s evacuation order “critically undermines the ability of Israelis to provide vital services to those in need.”
Another humanitarian centre in Deir Al-Balah is also under threat after being besieged by Israeli tanks, ActionAid said in a statement.
“This centre has been critical in providing support and information to displaced families, but its vulnerable status significantly hampers relief efforts,” it said.
Only 16 percent of the Gaza Strip was not affected by the Israeli military’s evacuation orders, which pushed 1.7 million people into the coastal strip of al-Mawassi.
Due to repeated evacuation orders, the 2.3 million inhabitants have been crowded into less than 10 percent of the enclave. Families live in tents and rely on aid payments. The so-called “humanitarian zones” have been hit hard by the relentless Israeli bombardment and dozens of civilians have been killed.
According to aid organizations, basic living conditions in the tent city of al-Mawassi are lacking. Residents have to queue for hours to fill water containers or use toilets, and mothers have to wash their children with sand.
Israeli restrictions on supplies to the Gaza Strip and the blockade of the Rafah border crossing are hampering aid efforts. In addition, it remains too dangerous to repair the damaged desalination plants.
In July, Oxfam accused Israel of using water as a “weapon of war.” The organization documented the systematic destruction of water facilities and the cutting off of external water sources, which has reduced the amount of water available in the Gaza Strip by 94 percent.
Trash and garbage are piled up among the rubble of the destroyed buildings, and desperate residents are reportedly searching for scraps to sell or food.
These conditions facilitate the spread of diseases such as polio, which was recently detected in Gaza for the first time in 25 years.
The international medical organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday that the aid organization was overwhelmed by the overwhelming needs of the war-torn population.
“There is no space to set up tents. Overcrowding, severe water shortages and minimal sanitation facilities are all contributing to the spread of disease,” said Jacob Granger, MSF project coordinator, in a commentary published by Reuters.
Most of the population of the Gaza Strip has been displaced several times during the ten-month war that has destroyed large parts of the territory and triggered a serious humanitarian crisis.
Over 40,200 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 93,000 injured, making this conflict one of the bloodiest of the 21st century.
