Israeli strikes 'kill' Gaza civilians, including children on ‘safe routes’: Reports

Several Palestinians, including children who were in the midst of fleeing to the southern Gaza Strip on an “evacuation route” that the Israeli army said would be safe, were killed in an air strike, claimed media reports citing witnesses and Hamas officials on Saturday (Oct 14).

This comes a day after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)dropped pamphlets across northern Gaza warning the densely populated region’s 1.1 million people to evacuate towards the southahead of a possible Israeli ground assault targeting Hamas.

Israeli army’s orders

On Friday (Oct 13), the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee had asked Gazans to head south of Wadi Gaza and said a safe “evacuation route” would not be targeted by Israeli forces before 8:00 pm (local time) on Friday.

Israeli military spokesperson Richard Hecht, on Saturday, said that there is a safe passage window between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm (local time) on the roads, down the Gaza coast and through the centre of the narrow Palestinian territory, which is about 40 kilometres long.

However, Hecht did not comment on how many days the passage window would remain open and acknowledged that “this is going to take time but we recommend people not to delay.”

Similarly, Adraee had asked Gazans to head south “for their own safety” on specified streets of Gaza until 4:00 pm (local time).

Gazans on ‘evacuation routes’ attacked

A report by the news agency AFP citing Hamas officials claimed that several people were killed while heading south before the 8:00 pm deadline, on Friday.

Additionally, a security source belonging to the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the news agency that “two cars were bombed next to the Kuwaiti Hospital south of Gaza City”.

A report by CNN citing videos it authenticated showed a scene of extensive destruction after a blast on Salah Al-Deen Street on Friday where a “number of bodies, including those of children, can be seen on a flat-bed trailer” which seemed like a vehicle being used to carry people away from Gaza City.

It was not immediately clear what caused the widespread devastation, said the American media outlet.

AFP citing Hamas’s health ministry and government media office said dozens of civilians heading to safety were killed in at least three locations Friday afternoon.

According to reports, thebombing killeda reported 70 people, including children, which the Hamas has blamed on Israel.

A report by the Guardian citedan analysis done by the Forensic Architecture investigative unit at the Palestinian human rights organisation, al-Haq which used aerial photos and social media poststo geolocate the site of the strike.

The British media report citing the visuals from the aftermath of the attack said there were12 dead bodies, most of whom were women and children. It added, that the youngest child was around two-years-old.

Speaking about the six-hour window, an IDF spokesperson told CNN that people in Gaza City “now know exactly what’s happening,” adding that the civilians were notified in Arabic and multiple languages on “every available” platform both electronic and non-electronic.

“Everyone in Gaza City knows that they need to go past Wadi Gaza,” said Major Doron Spielman.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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