GAZA,(Palestine Foundation Information Center )The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza said on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation forces’ (IOF) closure of the vital coastal Rashid Street represents “a new crime and arbitrary act” within its ongoing genocide policy against Palestinians.
The IOF announced in a statement that it would close Rashid Street to Palestinian civilians, permitting only southward displacement from Gaza City toward the central and southern parts of the Strip.
Rashid Street is the main coastal road linking the north and south of Gaza from its western side. It has become even more crucial since IOF previously shut down Salah al-Din Street in the east during the ongoing genocide.
In a statement to Anadolu, the GMO condemned the decision “in the strongest terms,” calling it a blatant violation of Palestinians’ freedom of movement and a continuation of Israel’s collective punishment policies.
“This arbitrary measure is part of the occupation’s tightening siege and genocidal campaign against our people,” the GMO said, stressing that Israel’s claims of allowing free movement south “are nothing more than deceptive pretexts meant to conceal its crimes of forced displacement and endangerment of civilian lives.”
The GMO held both Israel and the US administration fully responsible for the catastrophic consequences of this decision, urging the international community and the United Nations to take urgent action to stop “grave violations of international humanitarian law” and guarantee Palestinians’ safe movement inside Gaza.
The IOF said that Rashid Street would be closed to traffic from the south starting at 12:00 noon, while “those who have not yet evacuated Gaza City will still be allowed to move south without inspection.”
For weeks, the IOF has intensified its bombardment of Gaza City, leveling residential buildings and forcing civilians to flee as part of a wider strategy to seize control of the city.
Backed by the US, Israel has carried out genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing 66,148 Palestinians, injuring 168,716, and causing famine that has already claimed 442 lives, including 147 children.
