Palestinians Defy Hamas’ Efforts to Halt Gaza Flight

Jerusalem, 15 October, 2023 (TPS) -- Palestinians evacuating Gaza’s northern areas increased on Sunday despite Hamas efforts to prevent it.

One resident of the Shejaya neighborhood in northern Gaza told the Tazpit Press Service, “Until yesterday afternoon, Hamas men dressed in civilian clothes were still trying to prevent the movement of residents to the south, but since this evening several times, the flow of refugees has washed over the checkpoints.”

Commenting on the Islamic terror group’s attempts to discourage the exodus of some one million Palestinians, the source told TPS, “It must be assumed that this is a means of pressure that Hamas is trying to create on Israel. It’s clear that the evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip from the population, along with the heavy bombing, is intended to pave the way for a ground operation.”

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which supports Palestinian refugees, estimates that more than one million Gazans have relocated in the past week. Palestinian social media posts suggested that most of the people are heading towards the southern areas of Rafah and Khan Yunis.

The managers of hospitals such as the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah and the Al Awda Hospital in the north have announced that they will not evacuate the hospitals, but TPS has learned that the Kuwaiti Hospital is now partially evacuated. Reports also indicate that the Palestinian Red Crescent has decided not to move its operations southward.

On Saturday, Hamas was preventing Palestinians from leaving the northern neighborhoods. Israel released photos of Hamas roadblocks and the resulting traffic jams.

Israel called on Friday for more than one million Gazans to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip ahead of an anticipated ground offensive to destroy Hamas’s terror capabilities. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters that the evacuation order was meant to limit Palestinian civilian casualties.

But in a televised speech on Saturday, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh urged Palestinians to refuse “displacement” within the Gaza Strip or leaving the blockaded area to head to Egypt.

Meanwhile, Palestinians with foreign passports trying to leave Gaza were turned away by Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing.
Egypt closed the crossing a few days ago with concrete slabs and even stationed military and police forces along the border.

Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, have said in recent days, that they will not allow the establishment of Palestinian refugee camps in the Sinai.

More than 1,300 Israelis were killed in surprise Palestinian assaults on Gaza-border communities and rocket barrages that began nine days ago.