Rabat – Palestinians are facing increasingly dire circumstances, with new Israeli evacuation orders pushing them into a shrinking “safe zone” in the besieged enclave. Families in Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah, once considered part of Gaza’s “humanitarian zone,” now find themselves with nowhere to go.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has described the situation as an “endless nightmare of death and destruction.” The new evacuation orders have tightened the space available for displaced civilians, trapping them in an ever-narrowing area with dwindling resources.
“Once again, fear spreads as families have nowhere to go,” the UNRWA said in a post on social media.
Meanwhile, in Doha, ceasefire talks between Israeli, US, Qatari, and Egyptian officials entered their second day, though with little progress reported. Hamas, which is not directly involved in the negotiations, expressed skepticism about the likelihood of a breakthrough.
Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan, speaking to Al Jazeera, said that the group has not received any “positive signals” from the Israeli side, accusing Israel of adding new conditions that could undermine the peace process. Hamdan specifically rejected the idea of Israel maintaining security control over Gaza’s Philadelphi Corridor, insisting on a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.
“Mediators are still talking about bridging the gaps, but it is clear that the Israeli side is adding more conditions, talking about new issues,” Hamdan said. “I believe they are trying to undermine the process.”
Hamas previously said it is open to resuming ceasefire talks about the plan it agreed on in July, which US President Joe Biden presented and the UN Security Council passed.
“What we’ve been hearing from the Americans over the last 24 hours is an expression of more cautious optimism,” reported Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom from Doha. “However, that is also what the last several rounds of talks have been about – and both sides have not been able to bridge those gaps.”
