Israeli strikes aim to displace Gazans: residents

As Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip continue to escalate, displaced residents in a recently attacked tent camp in western Gaza City said the attacks appear aimed at forcibly displacing the Palestinian population.

Located in the western part of Gaza City, these tents were attacked on Tuesday night when the Israeli military fired four missiles at the site, killing seven civilians.

Mohammed Hassan lives near the tent camp. He said he fled to western Gaza City with his six children, following Israeli military orders in hopes of finding a safe place, but instead was met with relentless airstrikes by Israeli forces.

"We've been forcibly displaced once again. Before this, we had stayed here for about 20 days and witnessed around six or seven attacks, all of them happening very close to me," said Hassan.

The Israeli military is exerting pressure on civilians in the Gaza Strip, forcing them to move south in order to advance its plan to establish a so-called "humanitarian zone" in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz proposed the plan on July 7. Initially, the plan aims to relocate 600,000 Palestinians from the previously designated "humanitarian area" in al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis, to this new zone. Ultimately, it is intended to hold the entire population of Gaza, allowing entry but no exit.

Civilians caught in the conflict believe the plan masks Israel's true intention to forcibly displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

"Israel wants to push everyone into Rafah and then expel the entire population from the Gaza Strip," said Amir Al-Helou, displaced resident in Gaza.

"There's nothing humanitarian about Israel's so-called 'humanitarian zone.' Just look around. People are dying of hunger. If we go out to look for food, we're bombed," said Bassam Nasser, displaced resident in Gaza.

Israeli strikes aim to displace Gazans: residents

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that Tehran would view the United States and Israel's military bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" should Washington take military action against Iran.

At a parliamentary session convened to review an emergency proposal on assembly regulations, Qalibaf emphasized that, at this highly sensitive juncture, Iran must accurately and thoroughly identify the schemes of its adversaries.

Qalibaf said that Iran is currently confronting Israel and the United States simultaneously on four fronts: economic, cognitive, military, and counterterrorism. Of them, the economic warfare and the cognitive and psychological warfare began many years ago and have persisted to this day, growing increasingly complex and intense in recent years.

The remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran, taking advantage of its nationwide unrest.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.

Amid the ongoing protests, deadly clashes have been reported lately between police and what the government described as "rioters." However, no official death toll has been released.

Also on Sunday, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will address the country's economic situation and political environment in a televised interview later that day.

Iran swears to counterattack if attacked