Gaza, Oct 31: Israeli tanks and military vehicles are manoeuvring their entry two miles into Gaza as part of their expanded operations, even as relief aid groups claimed that civil order is breaking down in the territory while hospitals said it is next to impossible to comply with the evacuation orders on patients.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have been continuously warning Palestinian civilians to evacuate the territory ahead of their planned major incursion into Gaza to “crush the Hamas” and free the hostages, though latest reports say IDF shifted that responsibility to the global community wanting ceasefire, media reports said.
Over 700,000 Palestinian civilians have fled to the southern border of Gaza where the situation is no better than the north.
Gaza houses 2.2 million Palestinians in the narrow strip and the IDF claimed that others could not flee as probably the Hamas is holding them back either by force or a section of them are supporting the militant outfit.
Hamas is reportedly holding the civilians as human shields against Israel attacks.
Israeli troops have advanced more than two miles into Gaza in their expanding ground operation, a CNN analysis found, as aid groups warned civil order is breaking down while hospitals are grappling with “impossible” orders to evacuate patients.
Israel announced on Sunday it is entering the “second stage” of its war against militant group Hamas intensifying ground operation in Gaza after weeks of aerial strikes on the Hamas-controlled territory.
The country is prepared for a “long and difficult” war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday, as it sought to flush out and “destroy” Hamas after its October 7 attack on Israel, leading to 1,400 deaths, mostly civilians.