More than 19,000 Palestinians displaced amid Israel’s ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ operation

Relatives mourned beside their loved one’s body at an Indonesian Hospital following an Israeli airstrike on Jabalia’s Al-Tawba Medical Clinic in Bait Lahia, located in the northern Gaza Strip. The strike resulted in the deaths of at least 15 Palestinians. The United Nations officials reported on Friday that over 19,000 Palestinians have been displaced due to Israel’s recent military offensive aimed at gaining greater control over Gaza. Human rights organizations have accused Israel of targeting civilians.

The death toll in Gaza surpassed 53,000 by Friday morning as a result of the Israeli onslaught, according to the Hamas-run Civil Defense Agency. The U.N.’s International Organization for Migration shared on social media that more than 19,000 people have been forced to flee since Thursday, many leaving with only the clothes on their backs. The Israeli Defense Forces stated on social media that their extensive attacks in Gaza are necessary to achieve the goals of the conflict.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor described Israel’s actions as a “scorched earth policy” involving “massacres” and the deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians. The group reported the killing of over 115 Palestinians in North Gaza in less than 12 hours, including civilians seeking shelter from the bombardment. The U.N. agency for Palestinian relief revealed that the IDF has issued at least 22 displacement orders since March 18, leading to 70% of Gaza being under Israeli military control.

Additionally, more than 10,100 Palestinians remain detained in Israel, including women, children, and detainees classified as “illegal combatants.” Defense for Children International Palestine alleged that Israeli forces used a girl as a “human shield” during an attack in the West Bank city of Tammoun, where a residential building was besieged and demolished over the bodies of its occupants.