•Women wearing black crying in Gaza
Israel has ordered residents of Gaza City to leave immediately as it prepares for what it described as a major ground offensive.
The military’s Arabic spokesman told about one million Palestinians in the city to move southwards, warning: “Remaining in the area is extremely dangerous.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that recent air strikes, which destroyed dozens of high-rise buildings in Gaza City, were “only the beginning of the main, intensive operation” to capture what he called Hamas’s last stronghold, reports AFP.
Hamas responded that his remarks were a “public demonstration of a fully-fledged crime of forced displacement.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its message, spread through leaflets and social media, was clear: “To all residents and those present in Gaza City and all its areas, from the Old City and the Tuffah area in the east to the sea in the west: The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in Gaza City with great determination, as it has throughout the Gaza Strip. For your safety, evacuate immediately.”
Israel’s security cabinet approved the push to take Gaza City after ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with Hamas collapsed in July.
The IDF has been tasked with defeating Hamas after 23 months of war and securing the release of 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
In recent weeks, air and ground attacks on the city have intensified. Overnight strikes targeted buildings the IDF said were being used by Hamas to launch attacks.
Netanyahu later said that 50 high-rises had been destroyed in two days, adding: “Now, all of this is only the introduction, only the beginning of the main intensive operation – the ground incursion of our forces… You have been warned: get out of there!”
According to the BBC, photographs showed residents fleeing south along the coastal road on foot, donkey carts, and vehicles, though no mass exodus has been reported.
Hanaa, a mother of three, told the BBC she was waiting until she felt in “real danger” before leaving: “If I knew [somewhere to go], I would have left [by now] and taken my family and my children.”
She has already lost her home to Israeli bombing.
Razan Salha, a student, said she fled two days earlier and was now living with 20 relatives in Deir al-Balah. She paid $375 to travel by car and said others could not leave due to high costs or lack of transport.
“The instability and homelessness had left her very, very tired,” she said, adding: “I’ve lost my hope.”
The UN and aid agencies have criticised Israel’s plan, saying it risks worsening a crisis in an area where famine has already been declared. They warned the order to move south could amount to forcible transfer under international law.
