Could an Israeli designated safe zone in Gaza become another ‘death zone’?

Another wave of Palestinians were forced from their homes in Gaza. This time, to a small slice of land in the south designated by Israel as a “safe zone”.

But conditions in al-Mawasi are bleak, and for those living in its makeshift camps, bitterly cold.

International aid organisations do not recognise the facility and are not providing services there.

And in the last two months, Israeli forces have bombed areas where they ordered people to take shelter.

Those in al-Mawasi say there is no guarantee they will be spared Israeli bombings and air strikes.

So, how can what Israel calls a “safe zone” protect civilians from suffering and attacks? And could it become what one UNICEF official has described as another “zone of death”?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Juliette Touma – Director of Communications at UN Refugee and Works Agency for Palestine refugees

Mukesh Kapila – Former UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and Professor Emeritus at Manchester University

Hisham A Hellyer – Senior Associate Fellow in International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace