Ahead of the Israel's ground attack, thousands of people including families continue to flee the north Gaza Strip. With the six-hour window, given for the civilians to place themselves in safe zones, nearing to close, roads were flooded with cars and carts. Belongings were tied to top of cars, trucks and donkey carts as people fled their city.
"I came here with my children. We slept on the ground. We don’t have a mattress, or clothes,” Howeida al-Zaaneen, 63, who is from the northern town of Beit Hanoun, said. “I want to go back to my home, even if it is destroyed," Haunoun was quoted by Associated Press.
Reportedly, thousands of people crammed into United Nations -run school-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah, a farming town south of the evacuation zone.
With a mass exodus fear looming, Egyptian authorities erected “temporary” blast walls on the side of Rafah crossing. Rafah crossing, the only border crossing opened for the Palestinians has been closed due to Israeli strikes.
Meanwhile, over 2,200 people have been killed from the Palestine side in the ongoing attacks, while more than 1,300 people were killed on the Israeli side.
Blinken meets Saudi Arabia counterpart
The diplomatic efforts to end the Israel-Gaza conflict is progressing on the other end. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh on the third day of his Middle East diplomacy. Both stressed on the protection of civilians.
"None of us want to see suffering by civilians on any side, whether it's in Israel, whether it's in Gaza, whether it's anywhere else," said Blinken.
While, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia is committed to the protection of civilians.“It's a disturbing...and very difficult situation,” he said.
“And, as you know, the primary sufferer of this situation are civilians, and civilian populations on both sides are being affected and it's important, I think, that we all condemn the targeting of civilians in any form at any time by anyone,” Faisal added.
Amid all tensions, Saudi Arabia called an urgent meeting of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a 57-member bloc of Muslim countries. The OIC said in a statement on Saturday that the meeting will address the escalating military situation in Gaza and its environs as well as the deteriorating conditions that endanger the lives of civilians and the overall security and stability of the region. The meeting will take place on Wednesday in Jeddah.
After the Saudi visit, Blinken will be heading towards UAE for similar discussions.