Over a Million Palestinians in Gaza City Reject Forced Displacement

JAKARTA - The Gaza Media Office said more than one million Palestinians, including over 350,000 children, remain in Gaza City and its northern enclave, refusing to be evacuated to the southern Gaza Strip.

The office added on Friday (September 12) that Israel has forced more than 800,000 people to relocate to the al-Mawasi area, which lacks basic living facilities.

In a statement, the office emphasized that the Palestinians' refusal to relocate to the south occurs despite the ongoing barbaric and genocidal aggression by the Israeli occupation. The statement said the attacks aim to enforce the crime of forced displacement.

The office also noted that Israel had previously stated that "this displacement will be permanent, with no return to Gaza City and the northern territories, which is a crime and violates all international law."

"We affirm that more than one million Palestinians, including over 350,000 children, remain in Gaza City and the northern region, steadfastly holding on to their land, homes, and property, and rejecting any forced displacement scheme to the south," the statement said.

The media outlet also noted that monitoring teams had observed "reverse displacement from the south to Gaza City and the north after the refugees discovered that the south lacked even the basic necessities for survival."

About 68,000 people were forced to move south amid bombardment, mass killings, and threats, according to the outlet. However, more than 20,000 had returned to their homes by Thursday (September 11) after discovering that the south lacked adequate living conditions.

It also noted that the combined population of Gaza City and the northern region is over 1.3 million, with approximately 398,000 in North Gaza and 914,000 in Gaza City. Nearly 300,000 residents have been displaced from eastern neighborhoods to the central and western parts of the city.

Furthermore, the Gaza Media Office emphasized that the al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis and Rafah, where Israel forcibly displaced 800,000 people and falsely claimed it was a humanitarian and safe area, has been bombed more than 109 times, resulting in over 2,000 deaths.

The southern Gaza area also reportedly lacks adequate hospitals, infrastructure, or basic services such as tents, shelters, water, food, electricity, and education.