Israeli officials are defending calls for citizens of northern Gaza to evacuate to the south on Saturday as the military prepares to launch a ground assault against Hamas terrorist fighters in a move that other international groups say could endanger the lives of thousands of people.
The Israeli military has instructed more than 1 million people located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south ahead of the anticipated attack, although it remains unclear when the assault is scheduled to happen. Those instructions have prompted warnings from the United Nations demanding the Israeli military to hold off on its attack until citizens can safely leave the area; otherwise, they could be caught in the crossfire.
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U.N. officials cited concerns that because of the uncertainty of the timing of the attack, some citizens could still be traveling outside when the assault occurs — putting thousands of people in danger. However, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman defended the move, arguing it is an act of humanity to allow citizens to escape the warfare.
“Humanity should go two directions, and our humanity is the fact that we are telling them [to] go [and] stay clear of Gaza City because we're going to operate,” Jonathan Conricus told CBC News. “That is an actual expression of our humanity, which is in such sharp contrast to the lack of humanity of our enemies.”
The defense comes after U.S. officials negotiated a deal with Egypt, Israel, and Qatar to open up the Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt for roughly five hours on Saturday to allow U.S. citizens to escape. The plan would open the Rafah border, which is the sole crossing point between Gaza and Egypt, from noon to 5 p.m. local time.
The short window of escape has been communicated to Palestinian Americans staying in Gaza, which could cause a massive rush of people to southern Gaza in a bid to escape.
The Rafah border has been closed off after Egyptian officials erected a cement wall barrier in the days following Israeli airstrikes, seeking to avoid a mass exodus of those seeking refuge. The mass evacuation has prompted officials from the European Union to urge the Israeli military to hold off on its attack until citizens can safely leave the area, arguing the refugees need more time to escape.
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However, Conricus pointed to IDF’s efforts to evacuate citizens so far, noting “they're all over Israel now in hotels or with family” in places that are safer than their homes.
“Why? Because we don't want civilians in an active combat zone,” he said. “That's also what we've told the Palestinians: ‘It's an active combat zone, get out.’”