Israel continues attacks on northern Gaza, claims 700,000 Palestinians moved south

(Patria) - Around 700,000 Palestinians have so far moved to the southern Gaza Strip following calls for civilians in the northern part of the coastal strip to evacuate, the Israeli army announced on Saturday. Civilians who remained in Gaza City and the northern part of the Palestinian territory should move south of the Wadi Gaza nature reserve for their own protection, said Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a televised statement.

Israel will intensify attacks on Hamas military targets and their administrative facilities in the north, he warned: "We will continue to attack targets that could pose a threat to ground forces in the next stages of the war." Today marks two weeks since the start of the conflict.

Israeli retaliatory strikes in Gaza following Hamas attacks have led to a humanitarian catastrophe and regional escalation of the conflict. The United Nations estimates that around 1.4 million people in the Gaza Strip have already been displaced after losing their homes in Israeli bombings.

More than 544,000 of them have sought refuge under the auspices of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Gaza has been without electricity, water, food, and medicine for days. Aid convoys have been waiting for days at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Only this morning was it briefly opened for only 20 trucks. However, the aid has not reached all those who need it.

The US has requested that this border crossing be permanently open for aid delivery, and this was also requested at the peace summit held today in Cairo.

Hamas has conditions

Hamas has said it will not discuss the fate of Israeli soldiers held captive until Israel ends its 'aggression' on Gaza, Reuters reports.

Hamas official Osama Hamdan told a televised press conference: Our position regarding the Israeli soldiers held captive is clear: it relates to a (possible) prisoner exchange, and we will not discuss it until Israel ends its aggression on Gaza and the Palestinians.