Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Palestinians in Gaza City continue to flee as Israeli bombs and ground forces attack the city.
The Israeli Defense Forces said Tuesday that around 350,000 people had fled Gaza City, while the United Nations said it was 190,000 since August. There are an estimated 650,000 still in the city.
The IDF said Wednesday it would open another evacuation route out of the city to allow more Palestinians to flee. It said the new "temporary route" would head south along Salah al-Din Road. The IDF said the route would be open for 48 hours in a statement posted on Telegram.
The cost of displacement for Palestinians fleeing the city has surged far beyond what most people can pay. Residents told the BBC that renting a small truck now costs around $860, while a tent for five people sells for about $1,147. Most families have had no income since the war started, so many had to walk for miles or stay and face the danger.
Tuesday morning, a United Nations probe by independent rights investigators said Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The Human Rights Council found that it has "reasonable grounds" to conclude that Israeli authorities and government have committed four of the five punishable acts of genocide under the Genocide Convention amid its nearly two-year war against Hamas.
