The Israeli military has told civilians in Gaza City to leave their homes and evacuate to the south and has said it will conduct significant military operations there in the coming days, as reported by Al Jazeera quoting the United Nations.

The military has told the residents of Gaza City that they will only be able to return to their homes once another announcement permitting them to do so is made.

Residents of Gaza have also been told not to approach the area of the fence with Israel.

Hamas terms IDF warning via UN as 'fake propaganda'

Reuters reported that a Hamas official said that the UN statement warning that Israel has told people in northern Gaza to leave to the south of the enclave is “fake propaganda”, and has urged Palestinians in Gaza not to fall for it.

Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch Omar Shakir has warned that Israel’s call for 1.1 million Palestinian to leave northern Gaza would constitute mass displacement not seen in decades.

“This would amount to displacing 1 million+ Palestinians – displacement on a scale we have not seen since the Nakba,” Shakir said in a post, “The international community must act to prevent a calamity. History will not be kind to those who remain silent.”

It is pertinent to note that there was forced displacement of Palestinians around the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 during the Nakba (catastrophe).

Death toll update

Gaza

Killed: 1,537
Wounded: 6,612

Occupied West Bank
Killed: 31
Wounded: 600

Israel
Killed: 1,300
Wounded: 3,200

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that 1,537 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war. The Health Ministry in Ramallah said that 32 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Saturday.

Israel’s military says 247 soldiers have been killed since the start of the war last weekend – an increase from 222 earlier in the day.

IDF Spokesperson operational update on war

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) Spokesperson shared an operational update on the war against Hamas.

The IDF [Israeli army] calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza as shown on the map.

“The Hamas terrorist organisation waged a war against the State of Israel and Gaza City is an area where military operations take place. This evacuation is for your own safety."

"You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel. Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians."

"Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields. In the following days, the IDF will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians."

EXCLUSIVE: Operational update by IDF Spokesperson @jconricus as the war against Hamas continues. https://t.co/MFAOiCSssH
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 13, 2023

Israel used white phosphorus in Gaza, Lebanon: HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of employing white phosphorus in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, raising concerns about the safety of civilians and potential violations of international humanitarian law.

Human Rights Watch verified video footage taken in Lebanon and Gaza on October 10 and 11, 2023, showing multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus over Gaza City and rural areas along the Israel-Lebanon border.

What is white phosphorus?

White phosphorus can be used for various purposes, including marking, signaling, and obscuring, but when used as a weapon, it can cause severe burns to people and ignite structures, fields, and other objects, posing a grave risk to civilian populations.

Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch expressed concern about the use of white phosphorus in densely populated areas, stating that it could result in excruciating burns and lifelong suffering. The use of white phosphorus in such areas violates international humanitarian law's requirement to avoid unnecessary risk to civilians.

The report also noted that white phosphorus ignites upon exposure to atmospheric oxygen and continues to burn until it is deprived of oxygen or exhausted, producing intense heat, light, and smoke.

End white phosphorus munitions

Human Rights Watch called for an end to the use of white phosphorus munitions in populated areas without exception and highlighted the availability of non-lethal alternatives to white phosphorus smoke shells. It also noted that some of these alternatives have been produced by Israeli companies and have been used by the Israeli army in the past, reducing harm to civilians.

The use of airbursting white phosphorus projectiles spreads burning fragments over a wider area, increasing the risk to civilians and civilian structures. Israeli authorities have not commented on whether they used white phosphorus during the recent conflict.

The allegations come amidst ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas, following deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7 and rocket attacks in response.

Attacks using incendiary weapons in civilian areas are prohibited under Protocol III of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW).

Human Rights Watch called for addressing existing loopholes in Protocol III and urged countries to discuss the adequacy of the protocol in light of these recent events.

Palestine and Lebanon are signatories to Protocol III, Israel has not ratified it.

The next meeting of the CCW's States Parties, scheduled for November at the United Nations in Geneva, may provide an opportunity to address these concerns.

Human Rights Watch emphasized the importance of protecting civilians in conflict zones and called on all parties involved to spare them from further suffering.