The Israeli military is all set to launch an on-ground operation on the Palestinian militant group Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip; they told the Palestinians living in the area to flee south.
“For your safety, take advantage of the short time to move south – from Beit Hanoun to Khan Yunis,” said IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee in a tweet.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its personnel have been deployed around the nation to increase operational readiness for the war's upcoming phases, "with an emphasis on significant ground operations", reported the news agency Reuters.
At least 2,269 Palestinians have been killed and 9,814 others wounded after Israeli attacks in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian health ministry said on Saturday. The Israeli Air Force has also claimed that they have succeeded in killing Merad Abu Merad, the head of the Hamas Aerial System in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Israeli National Security Adviser warned the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah not to start a war on a second front and threatened that if they did so, it would lead to the "destruction of Lebanon.”
A drone killed militants who were allegedly trying to infiltrate from Lebanon, the Israeli military said, according to a Reuters report.
On Saturday, the UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said that the situation in Gaza is already critical. Gaza has no power, water or fuel, and food is running dangerously low. Families in Gaza were bombed while moving towards south along congested, damaged roads following an evacuation order by Israel, leaving hundreds of thousands of people scared for safety but having nowhere to go, he said.
He further added that even wars have rules, which must be followed at all times and by all the sides involved.
"Civilians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory are suffering from a week of utter anguish and devastation," Griffiths said. "I fear that the worst is yet to come."
However, the Israeli military has stated that its ultimate objective is to eliminate the top political and military hierarchy of Palestine-based Hamas that governs Gaza and was responsible for last week's terrorist strikes in Israel that left over 1,300 people dead in the country.
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