Israel’s army has ordered the evacuation of all civilians living in Gaza City and in the north of the Gaza Strip ahead of a feared ground offensive on the besieged enclave.
The directive came on Friday on the heels of what the United Nations said was a warning they received from Israel to evacuate 1.1 million people living in the north of Gaza within 24 hours.
The order, which comes on the seventh day of a war and “total blockade” declared by Israel following an unprecedented Hamas incursion and deadly attack, directs residents of Gaza City to flee deeper south into the Gaza Strip, a narrow coastal territory that is home to about 2.3 million people.
What the Israeli army said
Israel’s directive charged that Hamas fighters were hiding in tunnels under Gaza City.
“This evacuation is for your own safety,” the Israeli military said, in a warning it said was sent to Gaza City civilians.
“You will be able to return to Gaza City only when another announcement permitting it is made. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel,” it added in a statement.
It warned that “in the following days”, the Israeli army “will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians”.
More than 1,500 people – about half of them children and women – have been killed in relentless Israeli bombardment on Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel October 7, in a surprise operation that killed more than 1,300 people in Israel.