Palestine rejects forced displacement, tells US 'second nakba' imminent
White House said it's a tall order to evacuate Gaza within 24 hours after Israel issued the order ahead of its possible ground invasion.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told US secretary of state Antony Blinken that Palestine rejects the "forced displacement" of Palestinians in Gaza and that such an event would constitute a "second nakba". Nakba, an Arabic word for catastrophe, refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. The president told Blinken that humanitarian corridors must be allowed in the blockaded coastal enclave immediately to prevent a humanitarian disaster, Reuters reported citing the official Palestinian news agency.
As the United States aid Israel in its fight against Hamas that launched a massive and unprecedented attack on Israel, Blinken met the Palestinian President in Jordan on Friday.
On the 7th day of the ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas, Israel called for an evacuation of all civilians in Gaza city indicating that there will be a ground operation soon. Israel gave the United Nations 24 hours to move its staff from nearby areas.
Gaza is home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Israel has asked civilians to move from north to south. A densely populated city with tunnels underground would be wiped out if Israel launched a ground attack. The entire population of the northern region has been asked to migrate to the south.
Gaza's Hamas rulers asked Palestinians in Gaza to “remain steadfast in your homes and to stand firm" against Israel.
Israel said it needed to target Hamas’ military infrastructure, much of which is buried deep underground and hence the evacuation order has been given to avoid harming civilians.
Evacuation in 24 hours tall order: White House
White House spokesperson John Kirby said moving the Gazans in 24 hours will be a tall order. "That is a lot of people to move in a very short period of time," Kirby said in an interview on MSNBC. "We understand what they're trying to do and why they're trying to do this -- to try to isolate the civilian population from Hamas, which is their real target," Kirby said.
