In a bid to alleviate the humanitarian strain, the Israeli military announced on Wednesday a 48-hour corridor via Salah al-Din Street, allowing civilians to exit Gaza City. The move comes amid an intensified ground assault aimed at dismantling Hamas strongholds.
Before dawn on Tuesday, heavy bombardments rattled Gazaās largest urban center, pushing troops deeper into neighborhoods that UN estimates say are home to nearly one million residents. According to the Israeli army, more than 350,000 people have since fled south, though many Palestinians interviewed by AFP insist there is no safe haven and would rather remain in their homes.
Adding to the international pressure, the EU has proposed a package of trade sanctions against Israel in response to the ongoing offensive. Details of the measures are under discussion in Brussels, marking a notable shift in Europeās stance.
On Tuesday, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry found that "genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur," a charge Israel has "categorically rejected," calling the report "distorted and false" and demanding the COIās abolition.
Hamas condemned the operation as "systematic ethnic cleansing targeting our people in Gaza," while Qatar became the latest to urge Israel to halt its advance, branding it "an extension of its genocidal war against the Palestinian people."
As the temporary corridor opens, the world watches closely: will it offer a brief respite for civilians, or is it too little, too late in a conflict that continues to reshape the region?
Reference(s):
Israel opens Gaza route; EU proposes Israeli trade sanctions
cgtn.com
