So, why did I omit the part about after the truce “collapses”
The truce collapsing does not necessitate an offensive into southern Gaza. Obviously, Israel wants to attack southern Gaza, after driving the population from north to south. Israel knows the area is more heavily populated than before and is choosing to attack, knowing full well the civilian casualties will be massive. The numbers of dead children climbing higher and higher.
Israel pounded targets in crowded southern Gaza on Saturday and ordered more neighbourhoods designated for attack to evacuate, driving up the death toll even as the United States and others urged it to do more to protect civilians a day after a truce collapsed.
At least 200 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting resumed Friday morning following the week-long truce with the territory’s ruling militant group Hamas, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.
Several multi-story residential buildings were hit on Saturday, engulfing neighbourhoods in huge clouds of smoke.Separately, the ministry said the overall death toll in Gaza since the Oct. 7 start of the war had surpassed 15,200, a sharp jump from the previous count of more than 13,300 on Nov. 20.
“Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating,” U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters during the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.
Appeals from the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, to protect civilians came after an offensive in the first weeks of the war devastated large areas of northern Gaza.
Some 2 million Palestinians, almost Gaza’s entire population, are now crammed into the territory’s southern half.
And Israel is bombing all those people crammed into the territory’s southern half- Knowing full well those people are present and there will be massive civilian casualties.
In northern Gaza, an air strike flattened a building hosting families in the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya on Gaza City’s outskirts. It left dozens dead or wounded, said residents Hamza Obeid and Amal Radwan.
“The building turned into a pile of rubble,” Obeid said. AP video showed smoke rising as men, some in sandals, picked their way over debris. The Israeli military confirmed it was operating in Jabaliya and said it had found and destroyed Hamas tunnels in the surrounding area.
And a powerful strike hit a cluster of multi-story buildings in Hamad City, a Qatari-funded housing development on the outskirts of Khan Younis. Smoke engulfed the complex. There was no immediate word on casualties.
“Where is it safe? I swear to God, no one knows, where are we going?” asked Zohair al Raai, who said his family received a recorded message saying their building should evacuate.
With the resumption of fighting, the Israeli military published an online map carving up Gaza into hundreds of numbered parcels and asked residents to familiarize themselves with the number of their location ahead of evacuation warnings.
These are Israel’s newest Grid Maps
Perhaps one day, Grid Maps, will be used more widely to rid specific locations of unwanted persons? Say, people who refuse vaccines…