GAZA — Israeli forces have reduced the designated "safe humanitarian zones" within the Gaza Strip to mere rubble, leaving only 9.5% of the territory as areas for displaced civilians to seek refuge, the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza reported on Saturday.

According to the statement, during Israel's ground invasion of Gaza, which began in early November 2023, Israeli forces pushed hundreds of thousands of civilians from northern to southern Gaza, declaring these areas as "safe humanitarian zones."

Initially, these zones spanned 230 square kilometers (89 square miles) or 63% of Gaza's total area, including vital agricultural, commercial, and service facilities.

However, as the Israeli military offensives continued, these zones were drastically reduced. By early December 2023, after Israel's incursion into Khan Younis, the zones shrank to 140 square kilometers (54 square miles), representing 38.3% of Gaza's area.

The size further decreased in May 2024, during the incursion into Rafah, down to 79 square kilometers (30.5 square miles) or 20% of the area.

By mid-June 2024, the so-called safe zones were reduced to just 60 square kilometers (23 square miles), representing 16.4% of Gaza. By mid-July 2024, the area deemed "safe" was further reduced to 48 square kilometers (18.5 square miles), or 13.15% of Gaza's total area.

Finally, as of August 2024, the "safe humanitarian zones" have been diminished to just 35 square kilometers (13.5 square miles), accounting for only 9.5% of Gaza's total area. This remaining area includes only about 3.5% of agricultural, service, and commercial areas, severely limiting safe havens for civilians.

This systematic destruction of the designated safe zones has intensified the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, leaving civilians with fewer places to escape the ongoing violence.

The continued Israeli offensive on Gaza, which began after an attack by Hamas on October 7, has led to over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and children, and more than 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The region faces a dire shortage of food, clean water, and medicine due to an ongoing blockade, exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe. Israel is also facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6. — Agencies