On Friday, Hamas rejected an order made by the Israeli Defense Forces calling for the evacuation of all Gaza residents to the south of the territory, citing ongoing military operations against Hamas. In response, the United Nations expressed concerns about the humanitarian consequences and condemned the evacuation order.
Israel’s army called Friday for all Gaza City residents to evacuate their homes and head south of the territory “for their safety.”
“The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of Wadi Gaza as shown on the map,” the army said in a statement.
“In the following days, the IDF will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians.”
“Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent civilians,” the statement said.
“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 ,” the statement added.
Hamas rejected the Israeli order for 1.1 million residents to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of an expected ground incursion into the overcrowded Palestinian territory. “Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee to the south or Egypt,” the Islamist militant group said in a statement.
Also on Friday, the United Nations announced that its agency for Palestinian refugees is moving operations and foreign staff to southern Gaza, following theIsrael army evacuation order condemned by the global body.
“UNRWA relocated its central operations center and international staff to the south to continue its humanitarian operations and support to its staff and Palestine Refugees in Gaza,” the agency wrote on Twitter, rebranded X.
However, the United Nations said an order by Israel to flee within 24 hours risked a “calamitous situation”.
At least 13 Israeli and foreign hostages held in the northern Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours, Hamas’s armed wing said Friday.
With AFP
