Israel Restricts Access to Two-Thirds of Gaza, Escalating Offensive and Displacing Thousands

Israel has significantly restricted Palestinian access to roughly two-thirds of the Gaza Strip, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), intensifying its military operations and triggering a new wave of mass displacement, Al Jazeera reports.

Large areas have been declared no-go zones or subjected to forced displacement orders.

The restricted areas include a substantial portion of southern Rafah, where the Israeli military issued a new displacement order on March 31, citing intentions to resume fighting with “great force.” Restrictions also encompass areas within Gaza City, where Israeli troops launched a new ground offensive on Friday morning to expand their “security zone.”

These escalations have resulted in one of the largest mass displacements of the ongoing conflict, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many already displaced multiple times, to flee their homes once again.

The military push comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify the offensive to pressure Hamas into making further concessions regarding the remaining Israeli captives.

On Friday, Israeli forces continued intensive aerial bombardments, reportedly killing at least 30 people since dawn, according to local medical sources and Gaza’s civil defense agency. This follows a particularly intense day of bombardment on Thursday that resulted in 112 fatalities, many of whom were women and children.

Conditions inside Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, where many of the victims from the north were taken, are described as “nothing short of apocalyptic,” according to Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud who visited the facility.

Israel resumed its attacks in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire after talks with Hamas broke down over the terms of the next phase of a potential agreement.

Netanyahu is demanding Hamas release the remaining 59 Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and aid, but without Israel committing to end the war or withdraw troops. He insists that for a final ceasefire deal, Hamas must disarm – a demand the group has deemed a “red line” – and has openly supported plans for Israel to seize security control of Gaza and displace Palestinians.

Hamas is calling for a return to the previously agreed three-stage ceasefire framework and has offered to release all the captives at once in return for a permanent ceasefire.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 50,523 Palestinians and the injury of 114,638. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.