According to the newspaper's report. The Guardian the southern part of Gaza has become the scene of another tragedy. An Israeli air strike hit the al-Mawasi area, which the Israeli army describes as a 'safe zone'. Nevertheless, at least nine people were killed, including five children who had only gone to draw water. A doctor at al-Nasser hospital has published photographs of the children's bodies and the bloody water jerry cans left behind.
The Guardian reports that the attack came shortly after the Israeli army called on Gazans to evacuate the city to al-Mawasi. There, basic services - water, food and medical care - were reportedly to be provided. However, experts and humanitarian organisations have warned that the area does not have the capacity or conditions for such a massive movement of people.
Meanwhile, Israel is mobilising another 60,000 reservists and planning a major ground operation called "Gideon's Chariots II", which the Guardian reports could last all of next year. Already, the Israeli army has hit the western Gaza neighborhoods and razed the prosperous Zeitoun area. The town has been declared a 'combat zone' and airstrikes have killed dozens of people in recent days.
The Guardian recalls that the humanitarian situation is dire. The famine, caused by the restriction of food and aid supplies, claimed the lives of thirteen more people on Tuesday, including three children. Since the start of the war, 361 Gazans have starved to death, most of them in the last two months. The total number of conflict casualties has exceeded 63,000 Palestinians.
The international community is responding with increasing criticism. The Association of Genocide Experts has described Israel's actions as fulfilling the definition of this crime. In addition, the Belgian Government has announced that it will recognise Palestine as a state and ban the import of goods from Israeli settlements. It has also called on the European Union to suspend its trade agreement with Israel.
The Guardian points out that even in Israel itself there is growing opposition to the government's actions. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets, and some in the military command have reportedly called on the cabinet to accept a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Hamas has previously accepted a draft agreement similar to the version Israel itself has supported in the past.
The tragedy in al-Mawasi shows how far removed the reality of Israeli promises of safe zones is from the reality of life for Palestinian civilians. As summarised by The Guardian, the war in Gaza is not only destroying cities and lives, but increasingly isolating Israel on the international stage.
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