Gaza residents flee south as Israel’s military encircles Gaza City

John Yang:

Good evening. I`m John Yang. Tonight, the Israeli military says it has divided Gaza in two, and its troops have surrounded Gaza City. Israeli media reports that soldiers could move into Gaza City in the next 48 hours.

The human toll is rising. The Hamas run Gaza Health Ministry says more than 9,700 Palestinians have died, though it`s not clear how many were Hamas fighters. The Israeli military says 29 soldiers have died in Gaza ground operations. Special correspondent Leila Molana-Allen has our report.

Leila Molana-Allen:

Down Gaza`s main north south highway, civilians walk towards what they hope is safety. The Israel Defense Forces warned residents in the north to leave during a four-hour pause in airstrikes Sunday.

Those that left carried whatever and whoever they could, but airstrikes also continued outside the north. The Hamas run Gaza Health Ministry said at least 38 people died in a strike on the Am`ari refugee camp in central Gaza. Among those who lost loved ones, photojournalist Muhammad Al-Alul who was working for the Turkish newspaper, Anadolu four of his children were killed. His wife is in critical condition.

Muhammad Al-Alul, Photojournalist (through translator):

What happened was that I was doing my job and reporting. I got the news that Al-Maghazi camp has been bombed. Little by little, more news was delivered, and I found out it is my home.

Leila Molana-Allen:

At the Rafah border crossing, foreigners and injured Gazans have been unable to leave since Saturday. U.S. officials said the Hamas controlled government wanted it closed until more Gazans injured in Israeli strikes on hospitals and ambulances were allowed to evacuate. That`s leaving dual passport holders like Majed Al-Huwaihi in limbo.

Majed Al-Huwaihi, Palestinian German Dual Citizen (through translator):

I ask the German government to intervene in a stronger way with all parties. Things get more dangerous in Gaza with every day that passes.

Leila Molana-Allen:

The IDF maintains that its strikes target Hamas locations underneath hospitals. It released this undated video purporting to show Hamas infrastructure under a hospital in Gaza City.

On CBS`s Face the Nation this morning, deputy National Security Advisor John Finer said the majority of about 400 Americans in Gaza had now left over the last.

John Finer, Principal Deputy U.S. National Security Adviser:

Several days, through pretty intensive negotiations with all sides relevant to this conflict, we have been able to get out more than 300 Americans lawful permanent residents and their family members.

Leila Molana-Allen:

The day before, President Joe Biden expressed optimism about getting Israel to agree to temporarily stop fighting to allow more aid into Gaza.

Man:

Mr. President, any progress under the humanitarian pause?

Joe Biden, U.S. President:

Yes.

Leila Molana-Allen:

On Sunday, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken landed on the one word answer.

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State: This is a process. Israel`s raised important questions about how humanitarian clauses would work. We`ve got to answer those questions.

Leila Molana-Allen:

Blinken also made an unannounced visit to the West Bank Sunday meeting with Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. In response, protesters filled the streets of Ramallah.

And Ramallah isn`t the only area in the West Bank threatening to boil over. John.

John Yang:

Leila, I know you`ve been spending a lot of time on the West Bank. Tell us, what are you seeing there?

Leila Molana-Allen:

I have, and Palestinians in the West Bank are saying that they feel like they are being persecuted, as though they were Hamas as well. We`ve seen a huge escalation in raids by the Israel Defense Forces into towns and camps in the West Bank. And not only that, but also airstrikes, which is very unusual in the West Bank.

More than 1,300 Palestinians have been arrested, more than 100 killed by security forces in the past few weeks. And the second issue, of course, is the Palestinian Authority. Now, they are theoretically still the government in Gaza. It`s just that Hamas is the party that runs things there.

Fatah, which is the party that`s in charge in the West Bank side of things, has been called upon now by the Israelis to come back in and run things in Gaza after the war. But they`re very concerned about how that will be seen, if they`re seen as complicit with the Israelis.

So there`s a lot of concern about, after all this devastation, what happens next and what the future is for any Palestinian peace solution or state.

John Yang:

Leila Molana-Allen in Tel Aviv tonight. Thank you very much.