Escalating tensions as hundreds of Israeli tanks positioned near Gaza Border inch forward

New Delhi, Oct 15: As the world watches with increasing concern, the Israeli-Gaza conflict enters its second week running and has taken a dangerous turn, with the Gaza Strip as the epicenter of the escalating deaths and destruction of the infrastructure.

Israel Braces for Ground Offensive

Hundreds of Israeli tanks and thousands of battle-dressed armed troops are now positioned along the Gaza border, a clear indication of a military buildup that has been ongoing alongside intermittent air strikes of the besieged Gaza enclave.

This comes as tens of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced. Media reports that thousands of civilians including women, the elderly and children are moving to the safer designated areas in fear and taking along whatever they could lay their hands on the essential items. Communication has become difficult as very few phones are functioning in the absence of any arrangements to charge the phone batteries.

Locals are scared that they are leaving their houses never to return but Israeli authorities want to segregate civilians from the Gaza militants before launching a major ground assault in the area, where 126 Israeli hostages are believed to be kept in some tunnels beneath Gaza town and locals don’t suffer.

Israelis are planning to destroy all Hamas hideouts and positions across Gaza along with their dumps of arms and ammunition and to bring the hostages back to Israel so that people can live a better life.

The Israeli government on Friday ordered 1.1 million residents of northern Gaza to evacuate to the south, a move that heightens the anticipation of a ground offensive.

Media reports that the skies above Gaza have witnessed a surge in activity, ribbon-like black burning smoke going up into the clouds, signalling the situation’s intensity. On the ground scores of dead bodies still need to be identified and buried but most of the area is now like a ghost city in north Gaza.

The distinctive buzz of surveillance drones and the roar of Israeli military planes heading for Gaza have become all too familiar to the residents with no electricity, and a shortage of food and drinking water. These sorties are often followed by distant booms, further exacerbating the atmosphere of uncertainty and bringing panic and fear among the residents.

The Gaza Strip, under the control of Hamas, is situated just 11 kilometres from the border wire marking its territory. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli troops have taken up positions in anticipation of a full-scale incursion, but the exact timing remains shrouded in secrecy and chances are that anytime a major assault can take place.

Egypt says they will not open the route even for foreign nationals until the aid is allowed to enter Gaza.

Safe Routes and Evacuations

Israel has extended a three-hour window during which remaining civilians in northern Gaza can safely evacuate. The Israel Défense Force (IDF) spokesperson stated that those still in the region should move south between 10:00 and 13:00 local time.

A designated route from Beit Hanoun to Khan Yunis has been highlighted, with assurances that it will not be targeted during those hours. The IDF has adjusted these evacuation times in the past few days.

However, International Humanitarian Organisations and the World Health Organization have decried this evacuation order, arguing that forcing hospital patients, injured and elderly to relocate is tantamount to “a death sentence.”  Dozens of dead bodies at ground zero are preserved in the Ice cream refrigerator vehicles as most of the morgues and hospitals are completely overflowing with the dead.

Israel Vows to Annihilate Hamas

Israel’s resolve to eliminate the militant group Hamas is unwavering. Israel is planning an attack by land, air, and sea. The catalyst for this determination was a surprise large-scale attack by Hamas on October 7, which claimed the lives of 1,300 Israeli civilians.

In response, Israel initiated retaliatory airstrikes that have resulted in the deaths of at least 2, 500 individuals in the Gaza Strip. This heightened aggression has sparked concerns of an imminent Israeli ground invasion.

The Public Diplomacy Directorate of the Prime Minister’s Office of Israel says that they want to distinguish between non-combatants and terrorists. They just want to smash the Hamas infrastructure, and “terrorists” as they are taking civilians as human shields. The move for asking civilians to go to the safer areas of North Gaza is to segregate civilians from the militants. Israel claims separating civilians from militants is a “humanitarian act.”

OIC urgent meeting in Saudi Arabia

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the second-largest organisation after the United Nations with 57 member nations, has called for an “urgent extraordinary meeting.” Saudi Arabia, currently chairing the OIC, has invited member nations to the meeting in Jeddah to address the escalating military situation in Gaza and its impact on civilians.

Saudi Arabia, Iran and several other Middle East countries have condemned the displacement of Palestinians within Gaza and the attacks on “defenceless civilians.”

Iran has warned against an Israeli ground invasion, suggesting that such actions may lead to far-reaching consequences along Israel’s borders with Gaza. Some of the media in an unconfirmed report suggest that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, with the two parties reportedly agreeing to “continue cooperation” to achieve the militant group’s goals.

The United States has ordered the evacuation of American citizens and their immediate family members from Israel to Cyprus. The US embassy in Israel has announced that the evacuation will take place by sea, departing from the northern Israeli port city of Haifa.

West Bank also remains tense

As the focus remains on Gaza, the broader regional implications cannot be overlooked. Hamas’s attack has caused tensions, particularly in the West Bank.

Israel is deploying heavy policing in the West Bank, with checkpoints becoming increasingly common, despite the area’s relatively higher economic stability compared to Gaza.

The West Bank’s residents have much to lose, as many rely on family members’ salaries from work in Israel.

However, pockets of discontent in the West Bank have given rise to support for new militant groups that support Hamas’s actions. While these groups have not launched large-scale attacks against Israeli targets in the West Bank, there is concern that any attack or killings by Israeli settlers or Palestinians could push significant violence. A section of Palestinians are organising protests in the West Bank. A couple of deaths of Israeli soldiers and a few civilians in the area were reported.

Israel is also asking civilians to remain away from the borders of Lebanon where intermittent firing on observatory posts is continuing.  The overall fear is that the escalation in Gaza may not remain a local issue but one that has broader implications for the entire region.