Israeli Evacuations Transform Gaza into Network of Small Prisons

Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza are increasingly revealing its broader strategic aims, including efforts to reshape the territory, according to experts. As the genocidal war drags on, evacuation orders and targeted strikes have led to significant civilian displacement and mounting casualties.

The recent wave of evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military provides key insights into its war strategy, according to Adel Abdel Ghafar, director of the foreign policy and security programme at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.

Ghafar notes that despite Israel's stated goal of eradicating Hamas in Gaza, this objective has not yet been achieved.

He also suggests that Israel is engaging in collective punishment against Palestinians in Gaza.

Furthermore, the Israeli regime's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, may have a political interest in prolonging the war.

As the situation evolves, Ghafar observes that Israel appears to be increasingly dividing Gaza in a manner similar to the West Bank, constructing new military corridors that further disconnect the territory and make it easier to control.

“All of us are watching this and want the war to end,” Ghafar told Al Jazeera.

“But what happens in the long term is the perpetuation of the occupation and division of Gaza into smaller jails effectively.”

“Instead of having a bigger jail, you end up with smaller pieces of this jail.”

August has seen the largest number of evacuation orders from the Israeli military.

A new evacuation order currently affects the area between the southern part of Khan Younis and the central region, including Deir el-Balah.

Half of the population in these areas has already been displaced multiple times, in some cases up to three or five times.

One particular family has been displaced for the 10th time.

The repeated evacuation orders have left Palestinians with a shattered sense of safety, compounded by previous experiences with misleading and contradictory orders.

Gaza’s civil defense has accused Israel of systematically displacing civilians through violent means, including firing guns as people flee newly declared red zones.

The civil defense claims that this policy has resulted in the deaths or injuries of hundreds of Palestinians attempting to reach safety and has obstructed emergency responders from reaching victims.

In the past week, Israel issued five new evacuation orders for Gaza neighborhoods within six days, forcing thousands of Palestinians out of their shelters and into an ever-shrinking declared humanitarian zone.

The bombardment continues to target families in residential homes without warning.

In Maghazi, for example, an entire family was killed inside their home early this morning.

Similar incidents have been reported in Gaza City’s Yarmouk district and Khan Younis, where two neighboring homes were targeted.

In addition to those reported killed and injured, many people remain trapped under the rubble.

The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya said that Israel aims to “destroy the health sector” by preventing fuel from reaching the Strip.

Providing an update on the hospital's situation, he said most wounded individuals arriving due to Israeli attacks die because of poor conditions and lack of medical services.

He also warned that Gaza is facing a “germ war” and called for the implementation of a vaccination program.

Earlier this month, the Health Ministry in Gaza reported the first polio case in the besieged enclave after United Nations officials urged a pause in the fighting to enable a vaccination campaign for children against the virus.

Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed 41 people and injured 113 in the last 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.

According to the ministry, the latest casualties in the 320 days since October 7 bring the total number of people killed in the Israeli war to 40,476, with 93,647 injured.

The devastating death toll includes almost 17,000 children, amounting to 2.6 percent of all children in Gaza.

Since October 7, Israeli strikes have killed at least 53 children, as well as 72 men and women, each day.

Additionally, at least 10,000 people remain missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings, most of them presumed dead.