Israeli bombardments have resulted in high casualty rates in the Gaza Strip’s “safer” evacuation areas, as Palestinians flee from northern areas after Israel issued evacuation orders.

The backdrop: Amid an ongoing military offensive on Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military instructed residents to evacuate their homes and employ what’s designated as a “humanitarian corridor,” leading to areas south of Wadi Gaza, supposedly safer.
* Despite these areas experiencing daily airstrikes and being in a humanitarian crisis due to an Israeli blockade, residents navigated through destroyed infrastructure to reach these zones.

The reality: The areas designated as safer have been heavily bombarded, resulting in a rising death toll and a continuing humanitarian crisis.
* More than 3,600 people have been reported dead south of Wadi Gaza. In total, the Gaza Health Ministry recorded more than 11,470 deaths since the military offensive began.
* The bombardments have targeted a wide range of infrastructures including residential buildings, schools and hospitals.

Israeli standpoint: Israeli officials have repeatedly justified the offensive as an essential measure in combating Hamas.
* The Israeli military pledged to strike Hamas targets “wherever necessary,” regardless of civilian presence.
* The Israel Defense Forces claims it has urged all residents to move to areas they believe are safer.

The repercussions: The southern Gaza Strip, despite being termed safer, continues to suffer consistent bombardment and a significant rise in fatalities.
* According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, one-third of the total fatalities were in these evacuation areas.
* Satellite data and expert assessments have corroborated the increased frequency of attacks and damage to infrastructure in central and southern Gaza following the evacuation order.

The plight of civilians: Many Palestinians, in the hopes of safety, took refuge in UNRWA facilities. However, these shelters did not provide the expected safety and were also targeted by airstrikes.
* Over the past month, 64 UNRWA facilities were reportedly damaged, resulting in 71 deaths and around 563 injuries within these shelters.
View original article on NPR
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