Gaza at breaking point as Israel evacuates north

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip are facing a “real catastrophe”, United Nations officials warn, as Israel’s heaviest bombardment of the occupied enclave rages on for the 11th consecutive day.

In a report on Tuesday, the UN said the Israeli army continued pounding southern areas despite previously telling residents to move south ahead of a looming offensive by land, air and sea on the tiny coastal strip of land.Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip are facing a “real catastrophe”, United Nations officials warn, as Israel’s heaviest bombardment of the occupied enclave rages on for the 11th consecutive day.

In a report on Tuesday, the UN said the Israeli army continued pounding southern areas despite previously telling residents to move south ahead of a looming offensive by land, air and sea on the tiny coastal strip of land.Arrests and captives
In a video statement on Monday, Abu Obaida, spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing, said the group was holding up to 250 captives in the besieged Strip. He noted that 22 captives have so far lost their lives in Israeli bombardment.

The group also said it was holding a number of non-Israeli captives that they were prepared to release when “on-the-ground circumstances permit it.”

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal indicated on Monday that the captives were being held in hopes of releasing the roughly 6,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. He told Al Araby TV that Hamas “has what it needs to empty the prisons of all prisoners”.

In 2011, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held captive in Gaza for five years.

Late on Monday, Hamas released a recorded video statement from one of the captives, a 21-year-old French-Israeli citizen who identified herself as Mia Schem and pleaded to be returned to her family.

Separately on Monday night, Israeli police arrested Nazareth-based Palestinian singer and cultural icon Dalal Abu Amneh, who holds Israeli citizenship, over a Facebook post in support of Gaza. An Israeli court ruled to extend her detention on Tuesday morning.

The Palestinian Authority Commission for Detainees Affairs said on Tuesday that Israel has arrested 680 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7, adding that 25 percent of those arrested were children and elderly men.

At least 88 people were arrested overnight on Tuesday.

On October 13, Israel amended its military orders in the occupied territories to make it easier for soldiers to arrest Palestinians on mere suspicion under the Unlawful Combatants law.