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Israel’s new Gaza evacuation zones leave Palestinians few places to go

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People leave Khan Younis for Rafah after the Israeli military told people to leave (pic BBC)

Aid agencies are warning that Palestinian civilians are running out of places to flee to, after the Israeli military first ordered tens of thousands to evacuate part of the main city in the south ahead of an assault by tanks and troops.

A map posted on social media on Monday told people in northern and central Khan Younis to leave immediately to “preserve your safety and security”. Arrows directed them to move to three already overcrowded areas to the south and west.

On Tuesday however, the Israeli military said its forces had already entered the city and it was now too dangerous to leave.

“Don’t get out. Going out is dangerous. You have been warned,” new leaflets said, warning people to stay inside designated shelters and hospitals.

The evacuation of specific areas marked on online maps is part of a new approach the military says it is taking to avoid civilian casualties in its eight-week war with Hamas, following heavy pressure from the United States.

But there is concern that the strategy is too complicated, too dependent on technology, and too likely to cause panic to be a workable solution.

BBC Gaza correspondent Rushdi Abu Alouf, who is currently in Istanbul, said he had spoken to relatives and other people in the affected areas who were not aware of the IDF’s map or could not see it because of patchy internet access and no regular supply of electricity.

“This is a joke, not a map, because we don’t know where to go,” a displaced person who was sheltering in Khan Younis told him. There is also no guarantee they will be safe from bombardment if they flee.

The main Palestinian telecommunications firm meanwhile said that all phone and internet services were cut once again.

Before a temporary truce collapsed last Friday, the Israeli ground operation was focused on the north of Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a blanket order to all 1.1 million people living there to move south of the Wadi Gaza river for their own safety. Hundreds of thousands heeded the call as Israeli troops penetrated deep into Gaza City – with many of them eventually ending up in Khan Younis.

The IDF also repeatedly urged civilians across Gaza to move to al-Mawasi, a thin strip of territory along the Mediterranean coast which officials described as a “humanitarian zone”.

During a visit to Israel on Thursday while the fighting was paused, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had told Israeli leaders that they had to “put in place humanitarian civilian protection plans that minimize further casualties of innocent Palestinians”. These included “clearly and precisely designating areas and places in southern and central Gaza where they can be safe and out of the line of fire”, he added.

The IDF’s response was to publish on its Arabic-language website on Friday an ‘Evacuation Zone Map’ that divided Gaza into more than 600 numbered blocks, ranging in size from about 0.03 to 25 sq km (0.001 to 9.6 sq miles).

Jets also dropped leaflets with QR codes, allowing people with a working smartphone and an internet connection to access the map – and also asking them to share their location.

Displaced Palestinians living in tents in the al-Mawasi area, on the Mediterranean coast near Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip (5 December 2023)
Palestinians living in tents in the IDF-designated al-Mawasi “humanitarian zone” say there is no food or water (pic BBC)

Asked about this approach on Monday, US state department spokesman Matthew Miller said it had “seen improvements”. “We have seen them evacuate specific neighbourhoods, rather than entire areas, so the number of displaced persons will hopefully be lower in southern Gaza than it was in the north,” he added.

However the IDF’s order for civilians to move from Khan Younis to Rafah was condemned by the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, which runs the biggest humanitarian operation in Gaza and has 958,000 displaced people sheltering at 99 facilities in the south.

“The order created panic, fear and anxiety,” warned Philippe Lazzarini on Monday evening. “At least an additional 60,000 people were forced to move to already overcrowded Unrwa shelters, with more asking to be sheltered.” “The evacuation order pushes people to concentrate into what is less than one-third of the Gaza Strip,” he added.

Lazzarini also stressed that “no place is safe in Gaza, whether in the south, or the south-west, whether in Rafah or in any unilaterally called ‘safe zone'”.

Unicef spokesman James Elder, who was recently in Gaza, told the BBC on Tuesday that the idea of a “safe zone” was a “dangerous false narrative”. He said that under international law Israel had to ensure places of evacuation had conditions for people to survive.

In an apparent reference to al-Mawasi, he added: “These are tiny patches of barren land. They have no water, no facilities, no shelter from the cold, no sanitation.”

A senior adviser to Israel’s prime minister rejected such criticism in a BBC interview on Monday.

“I don’t believe that nowhere is safe,” Mark Regev said. “We’ve designated safer zones for people to go to. If you believe the Hamas propaganda, we’re just hitting innocent buildings, right? But if we’re hitting a structure, it’s because there’s Hamas either in or under the structure.”

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says 70% of the almost 15,900 people killed there since the start of the conflict have been women and children.

Israel launched a military campaign in response to a cross-border attack by Hamas gunmen on 7 October, in which at least 1,200 people – including many women and children – were killed and about 240 others taken hostage.

Map showing Israeli-declared evacuation zones in southern Gaza (4 December 2023)


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India cruise past Bangladesh to seal semi-final spot

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G Trisha swivels into a pull

India took on Bangladesh in Kuala Lumpur and delivered a commanding performance, restricting Bangladesh to a mere 64 runs before chasing down the target with ease in just 7.1 overs

Wet weather in Kuala Lumpur delayed the highly anticipated clash between India and Bangladesh, with rain threatening to force an abandonment of the second match of the day. However, the cricket gods showed mercy, allowing play to resume and ensuring a full spectacle. India won the toss and chose to field, immediately putting Bangladesh under pressure by taking a wicket on the third ball of the match. The Indian bowlers maintained their dominance, either claiming wickets or restricting runs, leaving Bangladesh reeling at 23-5 by the end of the tenth over.

Skipper Sumaiya Akter and Jannatul Maoua displayed resilience for Bangladesh, putting together a 31-run partnership before Vaishnavi Sharma made a crucial impact with two wickets in the 17th over. Bangladesh managed to reach 64-8 at the end of their 20 overs. Vaishnavi Sharma was the standout bowler, finishing with impressive figures of 3/15, while Shabnam, Joshitha V. J., and Trisha Gongadi each chipped in with a wicket.

India made light work of the chase, facing no resistance from the Bangladesh bowlers as they chased down the target in just 7.1 overs. Trisha Gongadi led the charge with a blazing 40 off 31 balls, featuring an impressive eight boundaries. Habiba Islam Pinky and Mst. Anisa Akter Soba managed to pick up a wicket each, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Bangladesh from suffering a heavy defeat.

Vaishnavi Sharma was awarded Player of the Match for her outstanding figures of 3/15.

With this victory, India secured their spot in the semi-finals with one game remaining against Scotland. Bangladesh are unable to make it out of the Super 6 stage regardless of the result in their final match against the West Indies.

Brief scores:
Bangladesh Women Under 19s 64/8 in 20 overs [Jannatul Maoua 14, Sumaiya Akter 24; Shabnam Shakil 1-07, VJ Joshitha 1-06, Vaishnavi Sharma 1-15, Gongadi Trisha 1-06] lost to India Women Under 19s 66/2 in 7.1 overs [Gongadi Sharma 40, Sanika Chalke 11*; Anisa Akter Soba 1-29, Habiba Islam 1-15] by nine wickets

 

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Sri Lanka and Scotland out of Women’s Under 19 T20 semi-finals

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The wet weather found its way to Malaysia’s capital, and the start to Sri Lanka’s Super Six showdown with Scotland continued to be pushed back, until time ran out.

The two sides split the points, with neither now able to qualify for the semi-finals.

Scotland will play their last game of the tournament on Tuesday against India, while Sri Lanka will end their campaign with the final match of the Super 6 phase against Australia on Wednesday.

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Sri Lanka’s new batting star crowned as ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year

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Kamindu Mendis wins Emerging Men's Cricketer of the Year | ICC Awards 2024

Kamindu Mendis, who scored 1451 runs across formats at an average just above 50, rubbed shoulders with some of the greats of the game in 2024.

The flamboyant left-handed batter had made just a solitary Test appearance for Sri Lanka prior to 2024, but ended the year having not only cemented his place as an all-format resource for Sri Lanka but also becoming their go-to-player in moments of crises and when the stakes were high.

This was on the show during Sri Lanka’s push for a maiden ICC World Test Championship Final spot as the 26-year-old delivered a streak of big scores in the whites.

Mendis’ year in review: 1049 runs from nine Tests, averaging 74.92

Slotting in the middle-order, Mendis was one of the six batters who scored over 1000 Test runs in the recently concluded calendar year – averaging the highest among them.

Making the most of his starts, Mendis hit five centuries and three fifties in his staggering tally of runs, taking Sri Lanka home on multiple occasions.

[ICC]

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