The Palestinian organisation Hamas must "pay the price" for targeting Israeli citizens, said the Israeli envoy to London who rejected that a humanitarian crisis is happening in Gaza.
Asked by Sky News about the situation in Gaza on Monday, Tzipi Hotovely replied, “There is no humanitarian crisis.”
“Israel is in charge of the safety of the Israelis. Hamas is in charge of the safety of Palestinians,” the diplomat said.
She added that Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, “abused” humanitarian aid and, “instead of taking care of its people, it created [a] tunnel of terror,” using the funds to manufacture rockets, whose “main target is to hurt innocent Jews in their homes.”
“This is the time [when] Hamas needs to pay the price for … killing innocent Israelis and now preventing its own people" from evacuating, the Israeli diplomat said. “We are giving them the opportunity to go south, to sheltered places. Unfortunately, the children of Kfar Aza, the people of Sderot, were not given this opportunity.”
In a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, Hamas and its allies massacred citizens in communities close to the border and kidnapped hostages. Israel responded by hitting targets in Gaza, and on Thursday it issued an order directing more than 1 million civilian Palestinians to flee to the south of the heavily populated region.
The evacuation order was denounced by the UN and human rights organisations.
The number of those killed by Israeli airstrikes overnight has increased to 71 following assaults on Rafah and three residences in Khan Younis.
On Wednesday, US Vice President Joe Biden will go to Israel, where he will highlight Israel's "right and duty" to defend itself against Hamas.
Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in more than 2,800 Palestinian deaths and up to 10,000 injuries.
In contrast, the Hamas offensive has resulted in almost 1,400 Israeli deaths and 3,500 injuries.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, warned that it would have "devastating humanitarian consequences."
Human Rights Watch added that because the crossings with Egypt and Israel are still closed, migrants will be forced to relocate into already packed homes of family and acquaintances.
According to the Guardian, Hamas has instructed locals to remain inside their houses and "stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war" being fought by Israel.
Nevertheless, since the warning was issued, an estimated 500,000 Palestinians have gone south.
Officials from both sides estimate that since October 7 there have been at least 2,750 Palestinian deaths and more than 1,400 Israeli fatalities.