In a backdrop of mass displacement Gaza’s death toll rises
According to medical sources, Gaza’s death toll has now reached 48,515, with mass displacement also proving to be an alarming issue.
The number of people who are suffering from wounds in Gaza has reached 111,941 and in the past 24 hours, 12 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and 14 have suffered wounds due to Israeli attacks, the Middle East Eye reported on March 12th. Only on March 10th, the Middle East Eye reported that the death toll in Gaza hit 48,467.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military’s escalated actions in the occupied West Bank have triggered the largest displacement of Palestinians since 1967, Oxfam International has revealed, The National reported on February 26th.
The situation intensified following a ceasefire for Gaza on January 19th, with more than 40,000 individuals displaced due to escalating military aggression. Oxfam says this is at an unprecedented level since the occupation started in 1967.
Israeli tanks were sent to the West Bank on February 24th, a move not seen since the second Intifada 20 years ago. Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said he instructed forces to stop individuals from returning home, a directive that goes against international humanitarian law.
Efforts to control areas like Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, some of the oldest refugee camps globally, exacerbate the limitations facing Palestinian territories.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for military operations to intensify. Netanyahu’s visit to the Tulkarm refugee camp followed accusations from Israeli officials that bus bombings in central Israel last week had been committed by West Bank militants.
The strategy, referred to as ‘Gazafication’ by Oxfam, has severely hampered vital humanitarian efforts, delaying or destroying such work, Oxfam said.
Palestinian communities in the West Bank are experiencing severe hardships, including deaths, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on movement, according to Oxfam. These restrictions have transformed what were once two-hour journeys into twelve-hour journeys, hindering humanitarian efforts.
Mustafa Tamaizeh, Oxfam’s West Bank Response Lead describes the current scenario as a calculated strategy of annexation, and speaks of a nightmarish halt of inter-city travel that has piled economic and social burdens on communities already in distress. The annexation efforts continue as Israeli officials push for U.S. recognition of sovereignty over the occupied areas, further complicating the geopolitical landscape.
The National, Middle East Eye
