The Israeli military has announced the opening of a temporary corridor out of Gaza City, even as it intensifies a major ground offensive against Hamas in the besieged territory.
The move comes amid global outrage following a damning report by a United Nations probe accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The Commission of Inquiry alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders had “incited the crime,” sparking diplomatic condemnation from countries including Qatar and China.
Temporary Corridor via Salah al-Din Street
Military spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee confirmed that the escape route, opened along Salah al-Din Street, would remain accessible for 48 hours only starting Wednesday at midday. The corridor cuts through Gaza from north to south, with Israeli forces urging civilians to head toward designated “humanitarian zones.”
This comes after weeks of urging residents to flee south via the coastal road. According to the UN, roughly one million people remain trapped in Gaza City and its environs. Israeli officials say more than 350,000 people have already fled since Tuesday’s intensified ground operations.
‘Death is Cheaper’ – Gazans Speak Out
Despite the open corridor, many Gazans insist nowhere is safe.
“I won’t leave Gaza. There’s shelling everywhere,” said Umm Ahmed Yunes, who remains in her half-destroyed home. “Where would I find $1,000 or $2,000 for transport costs? Where would I buy a tent? Death is cheaper and more merciful.”
Another resident, Fatima Lubbad, who fled with her four children and relatives, described sleeping on the ground by the sea in Deir el-Balah:
“I cried all night as I looked at my children. I wish we would all die together.”
Escalation of Violence
The Israeli military claims to have struck over 150 targets since Tuesday’s push into Gaza City, estimating that 2,000 to 3,000 Hamas fighters remain entrenched in central areas. The health ministry in Gaza, considered reliable by the UN, reports that at least 64,964 people—mostly civilians—have been killed since the war began.
The conflict was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,219 people, most of them civilians.
International Outcry Grows
The UN Commission of Inquiry declared Tuesday that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur,” prompting Israel to reject the report as “distorted and false.”
Global reactions were swift:
- Qatar condemned Israel’s actions as “an extension of its genocidal war.”
- China said it “firmly opposes Israel’s escalation” and condemned civilian casualties.
- Pope Leo XVI expressed solidarity with Palestinians, saying they live in “unacceptable conditions” and are being forcibly displaced yet again.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to Doha, urged Qatar’s emir to continue playing a mediating role in ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
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