Israel warns Palestinians to flee Gaza, many say they've nowhere to go

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning for Palestinians living in besieged Gaza to leave amid incessant bombardment has been met with strong criticism and outrage.

Many have pointed out that civilians in the blockaded Palestinian enclave have nowhere to go because Israel has imposed a harsh blockade from land, sea and air for years together.

The warning is "meaningless" and Netanyahu is trying to fool people into thinking he cares about civilians, said Omar Baddar, a political analyst.

"Netanyahu knows he’s about to commit an unprecedented massacre in Gaza. He knows civilians in Gaza have nowhere to go because Israel has them trapped under siege," Baddar said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Netanyahu's warning followed another warning — Israel will stop supplying electricity, fuel and goods to the blockaded enclave. Much of territory was already thrown into darkness by nightfall after electrical supplies from Israel, which supplies almost all of the territories' power, were cut off earlier in the day.

Mohammed El Kurd, one of the most prominent Palestinian voices during the Shiekh Jarrah crackdown by Israel, also commented on the bizarre warning, saying the Palestinians can't do anything to leave the "open-air prison".

"Netanyahu telling Palestinians in Gaza to 'leave now,' because he’s about to bombard the besieged Strip, as if they can do anything to leave that open-air prison which is Gaza," El Kurd wrote on X.

Human Rights Lawyer Mai El Sadany said that Netanyahu's warning signals a threat of "illegal collective punishment."

"Palestinian civilians in Gaza have nowhere to go. Gaza has been under blockade by land, air, and sea for 17 years," she tweeted.

Poet and Author Remi Kanazi said the warning is a sign that Israel is about to commit an "even larger scale massacre", adding that Palestinians in besieged Gaza are trapped in an open prison, awaiting their death.

Human Rights Attorney and Associate Professor at Rutgers University, Noura Erakat, said besieged Gaza has been under blockade for 17 years and has been subjected to four full military offensives.

"Any shock in response to this multi-scalar attack reflects an expectation that those Palestinians die quietly and a complicity in their strangulation," Erakat wrote.

Arab Studies Journal Assistant Editor Amy Fallas denounced the international community's bias as Netanyahu is about to broadcast "war crimes" that are about to take place.

"Where's the international outcry against this disregard for civilians?" she tweeted.

Other non-Palestinian figures also expressed their shock, with Euroasia Group President and Political Scientist Ian Bremmer saying it is "unclear where civilians are supposed to go or how."

Jewish figures denounce Netanyahu’s warning

Following Netanyahu's warning, many Jewish figures also criticised the ultimatum.

Beth Miller, political director at the Jewish Voice for Peace, said on X that Netanyahu's "horrific" statement is a pledge to commit more war crimes "because Palestinians are unable to "leave" or "flee" because the Israeli military has trapped them under blockade for 16 years."

Palestinian rights advocate Ariel Gold on X, regarding the warning, asked, "Leave to where. There is nowhere to run, nowhere that is safe."

"Keep in mind that Gaza is the most densely populated place on earth. There is nowhere to run. There are no bomb shelters. Almost 50% of the population are children," Gold said in another tweet.

Journalist, correspondent and filmmaker Dan Cohen said if Palestinians try to leave, Israeli snipers will shoot them on sight.

"Netanyahu just announced his intent to commit war crimes," Cohen said on X.

Cohen, who lived in Palestine for three years — including seven months in besieged Gaza, challenged anyone to debate him on "Zionism" and the Palestinian resistance.

"I 100% support Palestinian resistance. No one can defeat me in a debate on Zionism and Palestinian resistance."

Medea Benjamin, peace activist and cofounder of peace group CODEPINK, said the problem is that Palestinians are incapable of leaving besieged Gaza to begin with.

"Gaza is an open-air prison whose borders are controlled by Israel," Benjamin, who is banned from entering Israel for her activism, said on X.

It comes a day after Hamas fighters broke out of the blockaded Gaza in an unprecedented attack on illegal Israeli settlements and towns. Israel launched air strikes, with Netanyahu saying the country is now at war and vowing to inflict an "unprecedented price."

So far the fighting between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel has reportedly left 232 Palestinians and 300 Israelis dead and hundreds wounded on both sides.

Years under siege

Before the ongoing fighting, 2023 was already considered the deadliest year for Palestinians in years without involving major clashes between the two sides.

Besieged Gaza has been under blockade by Israel for over 16 years, and Palestinians' access to water, food, and other necessities has been severely restricted ever since.

The besieged city has also been subjected to four major offensives by Israel, in 2009, 2014, 2017 and 2021.

Over 2.3 million civilians live in Gaza under harsh blockade, most of them children.