Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for an offensive of unprecedented scale as Israel’s military sends phone messages urging them to evacuate certain areas. Many residents, like 55-year-old Mohammad Brais, are unsure where to seek safety as Hamas – which has been in power since 2006, refusing to hold fresh elections for 18 years.
“Where should we go? Where should we go?” the 55-year-old father asked, according to Reuters.
“Many of us got phone calls, audio messages from Israeli security officers telling us to leave because they will operate there,” said another Gaza resident, who chose to remain anonymous.
Gaza does in fact share a border with another country apart from Israel – Egypt. But even the Egyptian government regularly blockades the border for national security reasons.
This weekend’s surprise attack by Hamas terrorists has resulted in near 1000 deaths and dozens more taken captive in Gaza, marking Israel’s bloodiest day in decades. Palestinian officials reported over 500 people dead and 2,700 wounded, with 80,000 displaced since the hundreds of strikes began – meaning the actions of the Qatar-sponsored Hamas are not just ending and wrecking the lives of Israelis, but those of Palestinian Arabs, too.