The Israeli ground offensive in Gaza has been the news item of the week. The Israeli Defense Forces began localised raids on Friday to locate Israelis taken hostage by Hamas last weekend and “cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry”. Israeli drones dropped flyers telling the 1.2 million people in the north of Gaza to flee to the south within 24 hours or risk being caught up in the offensive. In addition, the UN has warned that Gaza is on the brink of collapse due to the “hellhole” situation there. On Monday, Israel cut off Gaza’s supply of power, food, and water until the hostages are freed, leading Palestine’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, to warn of a “second Nakba”, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic. Furthermore, people in Gaza are digging their own wells in search of water. The UN estimates that over 423,000 people have been internally displaced in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “end the war stronger than ever,” hinting that the current operation is just the beginning. However, the humanitarian cost of the conflict has been high; officials are reporting “devastating humanitarian consequences” and calling for “innocent” civilians to be given a chance at life.
The situation in Gaza is so desperate that people who have received evacuation orders are being told to ignore them and “hold on to your homes and land.” Although initially there were few signs of movement during the day, later that night, people started evacuating to the south of Gaza. The evacuation order has caused a significant amount of unrest, and it is feared that it will lead to a further escalation of the conflict.
In the UK, the situation in Gaza is causing concern, with the police on high alert and expecting a terror attack. London protests about Gaza are planned for Saturday, and it is feared these could lead to confrontation. Meanwhile, news of a settlement has emerged, with Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff agreeing to a £9m payout from the BBC following a serious accident on the set of Top Gear last December. Finally, a small sleepy UK village is being terrorized by a clown who has been mocking the police and asking them, “Catch me if you can!”
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