What's happening?

The Gaza StripThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by Israel and Egypt. is home to more than two million PalestiniansPeople from Palestine, an area located in the Southern Levant region of Western Asia. . It is controlled by HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.. On Saturday 7 October, Hamas attacked IsraelA country in the Middle East, and the only Jewish nation in the modern period. It is seen by Jews, Christians and Muslims as the Holy Land. from the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,300 Israelis and kidnapping others.

Now, Israel has told 1.1 million Palestinians to move out of northern Gaza as it prepares to attack Hamas. Many are heading south, but the region is very crowded and borders out of Gaza are closed.

Palestinians describe it as a "second NakbaMeaning "catastrophe" in Arabic, used to refer to the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. ". They use the word Nakba to describe the moment when 700,000 Palestinians had to leave their homes in 1948 during the war that led to Israel's creation.

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Israel claims it is trying to put an end to HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK.. But now one United NationsAn international organisation focused on keeping peace. Its refugee agency, the UNHCR, aims to assist refugees around the world. human rightsThe basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life. Some have called for animals and even natural phenomena like rivers to have some form of human rights. expert has alleged that Israel may be on the verge of a "mass ethnic cleansingThe systematic forced removal from one area or killing of an ethnic group, with the aim of creating a region that is ethnically homogeneous. " of Palestinians.¹

Israel strongly rejects allegationsClaims of wrongdoing. of ethnic cleansing. And international law allows countries to defend themselves.

Yes! Palestinian people have no choice but to leave their homes. It can be hard to find reliableTrustworthy or good in quality or performance. news from war zones, but human rights experts are worried about what is happening in Gaza.

No! Israel says it is acting in self defence after the attack by Hamas. It says it is helping people to avoid danger by giving them the chance to leave northern Gaza.