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In an unprecedented move, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday, 13 October, told almost half the population of Gaza Strip – over one million people – to evacuate northern Gaza. The order stated that they move southwards within 24 hours "for their own safety and protection."
"You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made," the military said. "Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel."
In the wake of the order, thousands of people have reportedly moved to the south to seek refuge, as the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas entered its eighth day.
Israel's order comes ahead of a possible ground offensive on the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said that this was a "Second Nakba" that would affect over one million Palestinians who called north Gaza their home.
What exactly is Nakba and why is the fleeing of Palestinians being termed the 'Second Nakba'? The Quint explains.
Nakba That Made the Palestinians Refugees
Palestinians refer to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the outcome of the war as "al Nakba" or "the catastrophe."
The original Palestinian population – close to 7,50,000 people, who lived on 77.8 percent of the land in Palestine – were expelled from their homes or fled as a result of the war, according to a report in The Conversation.
A six day war in 1967 followed this exodus. As a result, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
Palestinians became refugees in the Gaza Strip and in other Arab countries.
It's been 75 years now. And the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimates that "there are today 6 million Palestinian refugees living in camps in these areas, relying on UNRWA medical and education facilities as well as humanitarian relief," The Conversation said in a piece.
After the war, barely 1,60,000 Palestinians were left in the region, less then 10 percent of the original population.
"Those who remained were rapidly reduced to a minority, becoming second-class citizens in their homeland – cut off from the rest of their fellow nationals. Once detached from their land, Palestinians effectively became an unskilled cheap labour force for the Israeli economy."Marwan Darweish, for The Conversation
The Trauma That Still Remains
The trauma of the Nakba still remains – even 75 years later, and in people three or four generations from those who suffered.
"The forced displacement from their homes and land to become refugees in other countries – or even in what had once been their own country – is central to the Palestinian collective memory. The events of 1948 and the years that followed fragmented Palestinians – their identity, communities, and whole families. The familiar social structures and relationships were broken down."Marwan Darweish, for The Conversation
Following the Nakba, the Palestinians were left with nothing – no land, no home, no political or intellectual leadership, no support.
It was only in 1964 that the Palestinian Liberation Organisation was formed too.
In the meantime, the Palestinians became lost, unrepresented, and virtually invisible to the world, wrote Marwan Darweish, Associate Professor, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, for The Conversation.
What Is Happening Now?
In the past week, since the war began, at least 1,300 Israelis have lost their lives, according to the country's military.
On the other hand, the Palestinian health ministry has said that:
1,400 Palestinians have been killed, which includes at least 447 children
Over 6,000 Palestinians have been injured
As Israel ups the ante against Hamas militants, it said in a statement accessed by The Quint:
"The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians from Gaza City, from their homes, southwards, for their own safety and protection, and to move to the area south of wadi Gaza, the river 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 are taking 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."
It further ordered Palestinian "civilians" not to approach "area of the security fence of Israel," claiming that Hamas militants are "hiding in Gaza City, inside tunnels, underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent civilians…"
In response to the IDF's directive, CNN on Friday, 13 October, reported that Hamas told Gaza residents not to leave their homes, accusing Israel of "psychological warfare."
"The occupation is attempting to spread and circulate false propaganda through various means, aiming to create confusion among citizens and undermine the stability of our internal front."Hamas
The Quint has not independently verified the statement.
Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) sounded the alarm on Israel's directive. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that the evacuation order was "impossible" to implement without "devastating humanitarian consequences".
With the warning signed, this could be Israel's "free pass" to kill any civilians in north Gaza as they possibly plan to attack Gaza through a ground invasion now.
(With inputs from The Conversation)
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