As Israel gears up for a major offensive in Gaza City, a stark warning echoes: mass evacuations are ‘impossible.’ The Red Cross details the dire reality on the ground, while calls for a ceasefire intensify. What will be the human cost as diplomatic efforts falter and conflict escalates?
Israel is poised to escalate its military campaign with a major offensive targeting Gaza City, a move that humanitarian organizations warn will have catastrophic consequences. The Red Cross has issued a stark declaration, stating that any plans for mass evacuation of the besieged city are unequivocally “impossible” given the current dire conditions and widespread destruction, raising grave concerns about the impending human toll on Palestinian civilians.
As the Israeli military prepares to fully capture Gaza’s largest city after nearly two years of conflict, the operation faces increasing opposition both internationally and domestically. Protests in Tel Aviv reflect a growing demand for a ceasefire, rather than an escalation, with families of hostages vehemently criticizing the government’s perceived inaction on the latest ceasefire proposal accepted by Hamas weeks prior.
Recent days have seen Gaza City subjected to relentless heavy bombing and ground attacks, as reported by eyewitnesses and Palestinian authorities. These assaults have severely disrupted vital services, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents into an ever-shrinking safe zone, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis within the enclave.
The devastating impact of these strikes is palpable, with an Israeli attack on Al-Nasr Street reportedly killing at least 15 Palestinians, including six children, according to local health officials. Such incidents underscore the immense suffering endured by civilians, prompting heart-wrenching pleas from loved ones questioning the fate of innocent lives caught in the conflict.
Following its declaration of Gaza City as a “dangerous combat zone” ahead of the anticipated assault, the Israeli military dropped leaflets urging residents to evacuate south of Wadi Gaza. However, the Red Cross firmly maintains that a mass evacuation of Gaza City cannot be carried out safely or with dignity, emphasizing the vulnerability of starving, disabled, and injured Palestinians who are simply incapable of relocating.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric articulated that such a massive population movement would overwhelm any area in the Gaza Strip, given the extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and extreme shortages of essential resources like food, water, shelter, and medical care. This highlights the severe limitations and inherent dangers of attempting large-scale displacement under the prevailing circumstances, deepening the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
Adding to the complexity, a proposed 60-day ceasefire, accepted by Hamas two weeks ago, remains unconsidered by the Israeli security cabinet, despite intense public pressure. This rejection has drawn fierce criticism from hostage families, who warn that ignoring diplomatic solutions for a Gaza City offensive risks “spilling the blood of Israeli citizens” and prolonging the conflict.
With over one million people already displaced within central and western Gaza City, a municipality spokesperson has described conditions as “dire,” anticipating a sharp increase in casualties if military operations expand. The continuous prevention of fuel and machinery entry further compounds the crisis, threatening a total collapse of essential services amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
UN officials have also warned that Gaza City residents face not only physical exhaustion, hunger, and malnutrition but also the constant psychological toll of bombing, severely impairing their ability to make critical life-or-death decisions. The cessation of “tactical pauses” by the Israeli military, which previously allowed for limited aid entry, is expected to further worsen the already catastrophic plight of Palestinians, intensifying the humanitarian emergency.
