[Picture: Al Jazeera]
Gaza – Just under a week ago, a directive was issued by the Israeli army to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians residing in Gaza City and the northern region of the Gaza Strip. Among those receiving this evacuation notice were the esteemed Professor from Al-Aqsa University in Gaza, Dr Haidar Eid, and his family.
In a conversation with Salaamedia, Dr Haidar recounted the gruelling sequence of events. He described how Israeli forces laid waste to entire neighbourhoods after their departure, reducing houses to rubble.
Moreover, during their journey towards the purportedly secure areas in the southern region, large groups of Palestinians faced brutal airstrikes on the road, resulting in the tragic loss of numerous innocent lives.
Although Dr Haidar and his family are now finding shelter with his sister in the southern part of Gaza, where safety was expected, he said, Israel persists in targeting and terrorising civilians through seemingly random attacks.
“Last night, an adjacent house was attacked, and they’re still [searching] for bodies under the rubble.”
US Support for Israeli Terrorism
Recently, President Joe Biden of the United States (US) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting to reaffirm the US support for the brutal and inhumane actions of Israeli forces against innocent Palestinian civilians.
One of the topics discussed was the tragic airstrike, which resulted in the loss of nearly 500 Palestinian civilians who had sought refuge at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Biden, unable to turn his gaze from his notes, suggested “the other team”, Hamas, was responsible for this incident.
Surprisingly, this marks the second occasion in the past two weeks when Biden has made misleading statements to justify and shield Israeli military actions. As they exchanged handshakes, both parties had Palestinian blood staining their sleeves.
Dr Haidar hoped Israeli attacks, which had already claimed innocent lives at the hospital, would subside. Regrettably, these attacks have only escalated, with targets now including areas to which fleeing Palestinians were directed for safety, such as Al-Ahli Hospital and other hospitals and UN schools.
“They are attacking Gaza City, they are attacking the northern Gaza Strip, and they are attacking the south. Now, more than six hundred thousand people are taking refuge at UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Work Agencies) schools. They are attacking these schools now.”
SMread| Can SA embrace a digital economy to combat CIT heists
The Dire Situation of the Palestinians
While there are indications that crucial humanitarian assistance will be transported from Egypt into Gaza, Dr Haidar painted a bleak picture regarding the well-being of Palestinians in the southern region. He expressed that food is becoming increasingly scarce with each passing hour, and the population is grappling with severe dehydration due to the dwindling water supplies.
“Who’s suffering the most? The children, the sick and the elderly.”
