JERUSALEM, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- About 700,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza City as Israeli forces intensified their ground and air assault on the enclave's largest urban center, the Israeli military said Thursday.
Military spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters that "about 700,000 residents have evacuated" since mid-August, when Israel launched its new attack on Gaza City. He said they moved to what Israel calls "the humanitarian area" in southern Gaza, without specifying the source of the estimate.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement on Thursday that about 388,400 displacement movements were recorded between Aug. 14 and Sept. 23, mostly from Gaza City toward Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, areas the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projects will face famine by the end of September.
Defrin said five ground divisions were operating across Gaza, with three of them striking Gaza City and "tightening their hold." Since mid-August, Israeli forces have hit more than 2,000 "terror targets" in the territory, he said, adding that the air force has been carrying out around 200 strikes a day using fighter jets, drones and helicopters.
Meanwhile, Defrin said the Israeli navy is preparing to block the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of about 50 vessels aiming to reach Gaza. He accused the flotilla of being organized and financed by Hamas, saying Israel had "unequivocal proof" but gave no evidence.
"Anyone supporting the flotilla is in fact supporting the murderers of Oct. 7," he said.
The unarmed flotilla's activists set sail in late August from European and North African ports to break Israel's blockade on Gaza, where Israel's almost two-year military onslaught caused a humanitarian catastrophe and famine. On Wednesday, they reported coming under drone attack in international waters. Spain and Italy said they are sending naval ships to assist them.
Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 83 people in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since Oct. 7, 2023, to 65,419, with 167,160 injuries, Gaza-based health authorities said Thursday. ■
