Israel has ordered the full evacuation of Gaza City, directing roughly one million residents to leave ahead of an intensified ground campaign against Hamas. they did so through the dropping of leaflets over the city.
“To all residents of Gaza City and all its neighborhoods, from the Old City and Tuffah in the east to the sea in the west. The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, just as it did throughout the Strip,” Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Tuesday, according to CNN.
He urged civilians to move immediately toward the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi, with leaflets and maps dropped across northern Gaza reinforcing the message.
The evacuation order came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that operations in Gaza City were entering a new phase. “This is only the beginning of the intensified ground maneuver,” he said Monday as Israeli strikes on high-rise buildings in the city escalated.
Israel has claimed control of about 40 percent of Gaza City, which it says is essential to dismantling Hamas. A senior Israeli official said Tuesday that only about 70,000 people—less than 10 percent of the city’s residents—have evacuated so far.
The United Nations has raised concerns over the order. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned of “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
In Israel, protests have also broken out. Hundreds of thousands have demonstrated against the planned takeover, citing fears for hostages believed to be inside Gaza City and risks to Israeli troops.
Israel is also adjusting its humanitarian approach. A source told CNN the government plans to reduce food aid and halt airdrops over Gaza City, pushing residents to relocate south. COGAT, the agency overseeing aid, has delivered 3,000 tents so far with a t arget of 100,000 in the coming weeks.
The United States and Israel also plan to expand the number of aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation from four to 16, though none will be located in Gaza City, officials said.
Some Palestinians have said they intend to remain despite the orders. “To stay and die at home in Gaza City, or follow (Israel’s) orders and leave Gaza and die in the south,” Um Samed, a 59-year-old mother of five, told Reuters.
“To all residents of Gaza City and all its neighborhoods, from the Old City and Tuffah in the east to the sea in the west. The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, just as it did throughout the Strip,” Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Tuesday, according to CNN.
He urged civilians to move immediately toward the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi, with leaflets and maps dropped across northern Gaza reinforcing the message.
The evacuation order came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that operations in Gaza City were entering a new phase. “This is only the beginning of the intensified ground maneuver,” he said Monday as Israeli strikes on high-rise buildings in the city escalated.
Israel has claimed control of about 40 percent of Gaza City, which it says is essential to dismantling Hamas. A senior Israeli official said Tuesday that only about 70,000 people—less than 10 percent of the city’s residents—have evacuated so far.
The United Nations has raised concerns over the order. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned of “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.”
In Israel, protests have also broken out. Hundreds of thousands have demonstrated against the planned takeover, citing fears for hostages believed to be inside Gaza City and risks to Israeli troops.
Israel is also adjusting its humanitarian approach. A source told CNN the government plans to reduce food aid and halt airdrops over Gaza City, pushing residents to relocate south. COGAT, the agency overseeing aid, has delivered 3,000 tents so far with a t arget of 100,000 in the coming weeks.
The United States and Israel also plan to expand the number of aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation from four to 16, though none will be located in Gaza City, officials said.
Some Palestinians have said they intend to remain despite the orders. “To stay and die at home in Gaza City, or follow (Israel’s) orders and leave Gaza and die in the south,” Um Samed, a 59-year-old mother of five, told Reuters.
