Israel-Gaza war: tanks and dead corpses on the southbound route as refugees

 Israel-Gaza war: tanks and dead corpses on the southbound route as refugees

As they fled the fierce fighting in northern Gaza, civilians reported witnessing Israeli tanks and decaying corpses along a designated "safe road".

Through leaflets and social media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have advised the public to avoid using the Salah al-Din route at certain hours of the day.

So how does this adventure unfold?

In an attempt to get more clarity, BBC Verify has been watching film, hearing eyewitness accounts, and examining satellite imagery.

Over a million people lived in northern Gaza prior to the commencement of the hostilities.

After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, it has been brutally bombarded, and Israeli ground troops are now engaged in combat with the organization there.

The Israeli military has instructed citizens to use Salah al-Din, the major road that runs across Gaza, as an escape route. Wadi Gaza, a valley that the IDF utilizes to separate northern and southern Gaza, is passed by the route.

Despite the fact that its airstrikes in southern Gaza have persisted, the IDF has declared that civilians there would be safer.

Ahmed Zeyadah discussed his adventure with a local journalist on Wednesday as they were shooting for the BBC. He had left his residence in the northern al-Nasr district.

He remarked, "I'm so tired," while holding his little child. We're clueless on where to go or what to do. Who should we turn to? We call out to them, "Come, save us."

Due to the volume of assaults, Mahmoud Ghazzaawi left his house in al-Zeitoun, northern Gaza.

He claimed to have gone on a five-hour stroll after leaving his house at noon. He said that he was unsure about where to go.

"There are martyred [dead people] thrown on the ground, could God have mercy on them," he said.

It seems like most folks are moving. The UN claims that near the southern border of Gaza City, refugees were forced to abandon their cars by the Israeli military.

The distance covered by those walking from the furthest north was up to 12 miles (20 km).

"I saw a lot of damage on my way, and I was saw Israeli cars and soldiers positioned at the eastern side of the road, near Netzarim, even though they did not approach us," one of the refugees said to UN observers.

"I saw a few dead bodies as well as body parts on the road."

A lady discussed corpses on the roadway in another video that was uploaded on Tuesday to the chat app Telegram.

She stated she had been searching the area around the Netzarim intersection, so called because of the neighboring former Israeli colony in Gaza, for her son. As she drove south, she saw his corpse laying in the road among other people's bodies.

"I didn't care that I saw the Israeli tanks; instead, I glanced about and discovered my kid. "I recognized him from his phone and belt," she said in the video.

Speaking with a local journalist, the BBC learned that the widow had attended the Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, on Tuesday to be processed her son's death. He said that he was buried that same day.

The BBC has not recently come across any still photos or video showing corpses on the Salah al-Din highway. In response to allegations of corpses there, we have contacted the IDF for comment.

Individuals flying white flags

According to UN estimates, up to 15,000 individuals traveled on Tuesday, compared to just 5,000 the day before.

Due to high traffic, the Israeli military said on Wednesday that it would be opening the route for an additional hour, until 15:00 local time. Up to 50,000 Palestinians, according to a military spokesperson later, departed northern Gaza on Wednesday along Salah al-Din Road.

Video footage depicting groups of individuals strolling down the road, some of whom are carrying white flags to indicate that they are civilians, has been released by the IDF on X. The clip shows an Israeli tank confronting the people and next to the roadway.

The location has been confirmed by the BBC; it is about 3 km north of Wadi Gaza on the Salah al-Din road, matching the distinguishing houses seen in the background of the picture.

On November 7, satellite images of the roadway was provided, showing an IDF tank near to a stretch of pedestrian civilians.

Alongside the Salah al-Din road, the photograph also depicts damage to houses and what looks to be rubbish on the road.

A bigger group of people can be seen strolling down the road around 0.6 miles (1 km) north of Wadi Gaza in another satellite picture taken on the same day.

On this important corridor, Israeli tanks have been sighted before.

The BBC confirmed on October 30th that there was a big explosion when a tank fired close to an automobile that was attempting to back away.

We inquired with the IDF as to whether the route had been declared "safe" at the time of the occurrence.

Although it maintained Salah al-Din "had been an open road throughout the war" and that they had been " safeguarding it with ground troops and tanks to encourage safe evacuation," it did not comment on this particular occurrence.

Road not in good shape

In order to determine the extent of the damage caused to the Salah al-Din Road during this battle, BBC Verify has also examined satellite images of the route up to Wadi Gaza.

Each red dot on the map denotes a different kind of road damage, such as a tarmac crater or a damaged structure close to the highway.

Although we can't pinpoint the specific dates of these occurrences, we have located around 60 distinct cases.

The IDF claims that it will maintain evacuation routes while working to prevent injury to civilians.