Egypt Daily News – The Washington Post published a report on Thursday discussing how Israel is redrawing the map of Gaza and confining the presence of Palestinians to one-third of the Strip. It explained that since the ceasefire was breached, Israeli forces have declared around 70% of Gaza as either a military “red zone” or under evacuation orders.
Israeli Evacuation Orders
According to The Washington Post, quoting the United Nations, over the six weeks since Israel resumed its war in Gaza, Israeli forces have radically altered the map of the Strip, turning most of it into either military zones or areas under evacuation, pushing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into increasingly shrinking areas.
The Israeli army claimed that its evacuation orders allow civilians to flee before fighting begins, adding that those who remain will be considered combatants.
In practice, according to Palestinians, the evacuation orders often force them to flee under fire.
The recent evacuation orders have included border areas and residential centers, displacing more than 420,000 people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In addition, Israel has expanded its “security zone,” also known as a buffer zone, along the Gaza-Israel border.
The Israeli army claims the move is intended to prevent a Hamas attack similar to the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood operation.
According to The Washington Post, Israeli officials have indicated they do not intend to relinquish these areas. The report explained that the areas where the army is deployed are considered “no-go zones,” and Palestinians risk being fired upon if they approach them.
The Washington Post said that the largest such expansion occurred in Rafah, in southern Gaza, where Palestinians were ordered to evacuate last month as Israeli forces advanced.
The report noted that the border city of Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor, previously controlled by Israel, were part of the buffer zone. It added that Israel announced this month that the buffer zone now extends north to Khan Younis and includes the newly declared Morag Corridor. These major changes to Gaza’s map have taken place since Israel ended the two-month ceasefire on March 18 and resumed its military operation.
While Israeli officials claim these steps are necessary for security and to pressure Hamas into returning Israeli hostages, some Israeli officials have indicated that the territorial changes may signal a prolonged occupation of Gaza that could last for months or longer, according to The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies have warned that the evacuation orders and buffer zone expansion are cutting off thousands of Palestinians from their land and depriving them of aid, which has already been severely limited due to Israel’s complete blockade of Gaza for nearly two months.
According to OCHA, the areas currently under evacuation orders include half of Gaza’s water wells and many medical and vital facilities.
