Israel’s army prepares relocation of Gaza residents to the south

The equipment will be transferred through the passage of Kerem Shalom, in southern Gaza, the United Nations (UN) and other international humanitarian aid organizations, after being inspected by the Ministry of Defense, the military said.

The military refused to comment when asked if the equipment was intended for the population of the city of Gaza, estimated at about one million people today, and if the place to which they will be relocated in southern Gaza would be the region of Rafah, which borders Egypt.

Israel’s Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, said on Saturday that plans for the new offensive are still being formulated.

However, Israeli forces have already increased operations on the outskirts of the city of Gaza last week. Residents of the neighborhoods of Zeitorun and Shejaia reported that the air and Israeli tanks have destroyed many houses.

The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and hostage, according to Israeli authorities, and 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are still alive.

The subsequent military offensive of Israel against Hamas killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health officials. It also caused a crisis of hunger, moved internally most of the population and left much of the enclave in ruins.