Chicago – 09 December 2023
As Israel continues its military operation in Gaza, the army has repeatedly advised the country’s two million civilians to relocate to a “humanitarian zone” smaller than London’s Heathrow Airport.
Al-Mawasi is a sliver of land along the Mediterranean Sea. It has few houses and is mainly made up of dunes and agricultural areas. The IDF has pushed citizens to relocate to al-Mawasi at least 15 times on social media, the most recent on December 2.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) defined a safe zone as only 8.5 square kilometers (3.3 square miles). People have struggled to discover secure spots in other sections of Gaza due to a lack of internet connectivity.
On the other hand, the IDF’s directives on al-Mawasi have been altered multiple times. Civilians say the shifting messaging has made knowing where to go for safety difficult. Each IDF position is accompanied by a map indicating a limited region within al-Mawasi to which Gazans should flee.
