Israeli officials have informed the residents of North Gaza – 1.1 million in total – to evacuate immediately as Israeli troops amass on the border, preparing for an imminent ground invasion; this order included hospitals, many of which remain critically short of basic necessities.
Via airdrops of paper flyers, Israel called for residents to leave “the battlezone.” Panicked residents packed as many belongings as could be held and fled.
Leaders of Hamas have told residents not to leave. The United Nations has characterized the order as “impossible” and pleaded with Israel’s government to make all efforts to reduce civilian casualties.
Gaza’s critical resource shortage comes from an ongoing Israeli siege. Most of Gaza’s essential resources, including electricity, are imported from Israel — Food, water, gasoline, and power supplies have been cut off, creating a crisis for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Residents have been forced to turn to groundwater to meet their needs. The water shortage has become dire for residents who have long struggled with water shortages, but never on this scale.
Evacuations for residents is a daunting task for many. Infrastructure damaged by air strikes has snagged roads moving south, trapping residents in the region as the invasion approaches. Residents were forced to move into South Gaza – a region facing severe resource shortage.
Photos and videos show vehicles overloaded with belongings and passengers sitting on roofs as they fled to the south.
Evacuees struggled to find clean water, food, and shelter in South Gaza, sleeping in cars and packing into schools and hospitals.
Gaza’s hospital system continues to face immense pressure, overwhelmed by the volume of injuries and casualties as well as displaced citizens seeking shelter and safety. Hospitals have been operating on only a few hours of electricity a day and with limited medical supplies, limiting the amount of care that wounded patients can receive.
One of the most pressing challenges faced by hospitals in North Gaza – besides caring for patients with paltry supplies – is how to evacuate patients. The impending Israeli invasion threatens all who stay, including medical workers who are now forced to make the decision to stay with their duties or evacuate with their families. Medical officials have called moving patients “logistically impossible” considering the grave condition of most and the sheer lack of resources to do so.
On Tuesday, October 17th, an explosion at a hospital in North Gaza sent shockwaves through the Middle East—hundreds were killed and hundreds more were injured. Palestinian officials blamed an Israeli air strike for the explosion, prompting protest and harsh criticism across the Middle East. Israel denied these claims, stating that the explosion was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad. The cause remains disputed.
On Wednesday, October 18th, President Joe Biden announced that the Egyptian government would allow 20 truck loads worth of humanitarian aid to pass into Gaza through its border crossing. The aid’s passage into Gaza and distribution would be facilitated by the United Nations, providing the first break in a 10 day siege on the territory that strained every critical resource for Gazans.
In the coming days, the humanitarian crisis is expected to only worsen for Gazans. Despite small amounts of aid trickling into the territory, residents are expected to face escalating shortages of basic necessities. As residents from North Gaza continue to flood south, space to shelter and care for residents – already extremely limited – will dwindle. The United Nations will have less capacity to care for residents, stripping Gazans of one of their last remaining life lines for care.
