According to media reports, Israeli forces have reduced the
designated "safe humanitarian zones" within the Gaza Strip to mere
rubble, leaving only 9.5% of the territory as areas for displaced civilians to
seek refuge.
During Israel's ground invasion of Gaza, which began in
early November 2023, Israeli forces pushed hundreds of thousands of civilians
from northern to southern Gaza, declaring these areas as "safe
humanitarian zones."
Initially, these zones spanned 230 square kilometers (89
square miles) or 63% of Gaza's total area, including vital agricultural,
commercial, and service facilities.
As the Israeli military offensives continued, these zones
were drastically reduced. By early December 2023, after Israel's incursion into
Khan Younis, the zones shrank to 140 square kilometers (54 square miles),
representing 38.3% of Gaza's area.
The size further decreased in May 2024, during the incursion
into Rafah, down to 79 square kilometers (30.5 square miles) or 20% of the
area.
By mid-June 2024, the so-called safe zones were reduced to
just 60 square kilometers (23 square miles), representing 16.4% of Gaza.
By mid-July 2024, the area deemed "safe" was
further reduced to 48 square kilometers (18.5 square miles), or 13.15% of
Gaza's total area.
Finally, as of August 2024, the "safe humanitarian
zones" have been diminished to just 35 square kilometers (13.5 square
miles), accounting for only 9.5% of Gaza's total area.
This remaining area includes only about 3.5% of
agricultural, service, and commercial areas, severely limiting safe havens for
civilians.
This systematic destruction of the designated safe zones has
intensified the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, leaving civilians with fewer places
to escape the ongoing violence.
The continued Israeli offensive on Gaza, which began after
October 07, has led to over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and
children, and more than 93,000 injuries.
The region faces a dire shortage of food, clean water, and
medicine due to an ongoing blockade, exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel faces proceedings for the genocide at the
International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations
in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought
refuge before the area was invaded on May 06, 2024