In response to the Hamas-led terror attacks over the weekend that resulted in more than 900 casualties, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has issued an appeal to the 2 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip to “evacuate immediately” as retaliatory military actions are being launched against the terrorists. The challenge lies in the fact that they likely have nowhere to seek refuge.
BREAKING: Bombing in the vicinity of the Rafah Crossing – the only way out of the Gaza Strip pic.twitter.com/vPMsxfGxMM
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 10, 2023
Netanyahu has outlined his intentions to reduce the Gaza Strip to ruins and has made it clear that the people residing there will face an “unprecedented price.”
“All of the places which Hamas is deployed, hiding and operating in, that wicked city, we will turn them into rubble,” said Netanyahu. “Leave now because we will operate forcefully everywhere.”
Israeli checkpoints along the border between Israel and Gaza have all been closed.
Reportedly, the only alternative route out of the Gaza Strip, leading to Egypt, has also been shut down.
The only entry point to Egypt, the Rafah Crossing, has been continuously bombed by Israel since the weekend. Yesterday, Egypt declared the closure of the only passage connecting Gaza and Egypt, as reported by The New Arab.
A senior security source emphasized, “The crossing will be closed indefinitely, for the situation has become quite dangerous after the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has had an impact on the Egyptian side of the crossing.”
NEW: The Rafah crossing in the Gaza Strip, which is the only land exit to Egypt, has been bombed according to the Washington Post.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 10, 2023
Israel claims they were targeting an underground tunnel used for smuggling weapons.
Earlier in the day, the IDF encouraged Palestinians to flee to… pic.twitter.com/TpramRdoMJ
The Gaza Strip is home to 2 million people residing in an area approximately the size of Philadelphia, covering 139 square miles in a rectangular shape measuring about 25 miles in length and 6 miles in width. This region boasts one of the highest population densities globally, approximately 15 times denser than Israel.
Nearly all essential utilities in Gaza are supplied by Israeli-controlled entities. Water and energy sources come from Israel. In reaction to the terrorist attacks, these vital services have been halted, a move referred to as a “siege” by Israeli officials. This blockade, or siege, includes the restriction of food, energy, fuel, water, and medical supplies to Gaza.
