Palestinians starve as Gaza war rages amid fears of exodus into Egypt.

On Monday, Israel denied that it planned to force Palestinians who were seeking safety from its shelling of Gaza to cross the border into Egypt. This came at the same time as international relief organizations reported that hunger was spreading among the civilian population of the beleaguered enclosure.

In the midst of a rising humanitarian catastrophe, Hamas fighters and Israeli soldiers engaged in combat across the region. The militants were attempting to prevent Israeli tanks from moving forward through the streets that had been broken.

In just over two months of combat, Israeli bombings on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of 18,205 individuals and injuries to 49,645 others, according to the Gaza health ministry. Hundreds of these deaths have occurred since the United States vetoed a request for a ceasefire at the United Nations Security Council on Friday.

There are around 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza, the majority of whom have been forced to leave their homes. Residents of Gaza claim that it is hard to get food or sanctuary in the densely packed coastal enclave.

Reuters was told by a Palestinian that he had not eaten in three days and that he had to beg for food in order to provide for his children.

“I pretend to be strong, but I am afraid I will collapse in front of them at any moment,” he said over the phone, declining to be named out of fear of retaliation. “I am afraid I will collapse in front of them now.”

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which is responsible for Palestinian refugees, said that some individuals were arriving at its health centers and shelters carrying their kids who had passed away.

“We are on the verge of collapse,” what was said on X was stated.

At the same time as the situation is becoming worse, aid organizations have also warned of a collapse in social order.

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, expressed his concern about the possibility of a large-scale displacement into Egypt over the weekend. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, stated that the movement of Gazans closer to the border indicated that there were attempts to transport them across it.

The Israeli government was accused of attempting “to empty Gaza of its people” by Jordan as well.

On Monday, the Israeli administration denied that this was the goal of their actions. The charge was deemed “outrageous and false” by the spokesperson, Eylon Levy.

During the incident that took place across the border on October 7, Levy stated that his nation was defending itself against the “monsters” who had attacked Israel.

According to Israeli counts, Hamas terrorists carried out the attack, which was the bloodiest in Israel’s history, and slaughtered 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians. They also captured 240 hostages. Since then, around one hundred have been set free.

An Israeli retaliation assault was launched in response to the strike by Hamas, which precipitated the worst phase of combat in the decades-long confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians.

In the present moment, the only way out of Gaza is across the border with Egypt; nevertheless, Cairo has issued a warning that it will not permit Gazans to enter its territory out of concern that they would not be able to return.

“It is enough,” they said.
They characterize the situation in the southern sections of Gaza, where they have concentrated, as being “hellish.” According to authorities from the United Nations, 1.9 million Palestinians, which is 85 percent of Gaza’s population, are displaced.

Residents of Gaza reported that those who were forced to escape on many occasions were dying from hunger and cold in addition to the bombardments. They also described the robbery of assistance vehicles and the sky-high costs. The World Food Programme of the United Nations has said that fifty percent of the population is famished.

According to Israel, one of the actions it is doing to safeguard the population is to urge individuals to relocate to different places.

Envoys from the United Nations Security Council visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing on Monday. During their tour, they expressed their desire to bring an end to the fighting and talked of terrible suffering.

After being asked by reporters if he had a message for countries who were against a ceasefire in Gaza, China’s representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, responded with a straightforward statement: “Enough is enough.”

Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defense of Israel, stated on Monday that Israel had no intention of remaining in the Gaza Strip indefinitely and that it was open to considering different options for who would rule the land, provided that it was not a party that was opposed to Israel.

The Israeli government has stated that they are willing to take any action necessary to eliminate Hamas, but they have no plans to remain in the Gaza Strip indefinitely. According to what Gallant said to the media, “We only take care of our security and the security of our citizens along the border with Gaza.”

Since 2007, Hamas has been in control of Gaza, and its members have taken an oath to destroy the Jewish state.

Hamas has denied Israel’s allegations that it has stolen humanitarian assistance and used people as human shields. Israel has made these allegations. Israel has prohibited the majority of aid from entering Gaza, citing its concern that it will only serve to serve as fuel for Hamas operations.

Israel was preparing to open the Kerem Shalom border, which was responsible for processing the majority of supplies before to the conflict, according to a government official named Levy. He placed the blame for the delays at the border crossing from Egypt on international organizations.

The Israeli military launched a ground offensive in the south on December 1, following the collapse of a truce that had been in place for a week. Since then, Israel has advanced from the east into the center of Khan Younis city, while airplanes have attacked a region to the west.

CRASHES IN THE NORTHERN PART OF GAZA
Militants and residents of Gaza said on Monday that fighters were blocking Israeli tanks from pushing farther west and from engaging with Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza, where Israel had stated that its objective was virtually completed.

Israel announced that scores of Hamas fighters had surrendered and invited further Hamas members to sign up with them. The armed branch of Hamas has stated that it has fired rockets in the direction of Tel Aviv, which has caused Israelis to seek refuge in bunkers.

During the night, the Gaza health ministry reported that 32 Palestinians had been murdered in Khan Younis neighbourhood. The Hamas terrorist organization claimed that its militants had launched mortars and rockets at Israeli soldiers, as well as hit two Israeli tanks.

The battle was also violent in Shejaia, which is located east of the center of Gaza City, the Sheikh Radwan area, which is located in the northwestern part of Gaza City, and Jabalia, which is located farther north.

In the center region of Gaza, where Israel instructed residents to relocate to shelters in the Deir al-Balah neighborhood on Monday, health authorities said that the Shuhada Al-Aqsa hospital had received forty bodies of deceased individuals.

In addition, medical personnel reported that an Israeli air attack struck a house in Rafah, which is one of two locations in the vicinity of Egypt where Israel believes Palestinians should seek sanctuary.

An Israeli shell on Monday killed the mayor of the Lebanese hamlet of Taybeh, which is only a few kilometers (miles) from the border with Israel, according to a relative and Lebanon’s National News Agency. This incident occurred in another location that has become emotionally charged.

The fighting in Gaza has renewed the hostilities that have been going on between Israel and Hezbollah, which is a group that is based in Lebanon. This has caused worldwide anxiety that a broader conflict may go out of control.

Israel’s Minister of Defense, Galant, said that if an agreement included a safe zone along the border and appropriate assurances, Israel would be open to the idea of doing business with Iran-backed Hezbollah.