Israel Orders 1.1 Million Palestinians to Leave Gaza City Within 24 Hours: 'For Your Own Safety'
The evacuation order is being perceived as a sign that Israel is preparing for a ground offensive
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Citizens of Gaza are on their way to leave the city to the southern safer parts by whatever vehicles they can find with their belongings after the United Nations (UN) reported that the Israeli army wanted 1.1 million civilians in Gaza to leave their homes and move to the south of the region in Gaza City, Gaza on October 13, 2023Israel’s military has ordered 1.1 million civilians in the Gaza Strip to evacuate in what media outlets report could signal that the country is preparing for a ground offensive in response to a deadly Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israeli civilians carried out by Hamas militants.
In a press release issued Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it is calling “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 the Wadi Gaza."
“The Hamas terrorist organization waged a war against the State of Israel and Gaza City is an area where military operations take place,” the statement continued. “This evacuation is for your own safety.”
Related: Joe Biden Offers Support to Israel as Prime Minister Says 'We Are at War' After Hamas Attack
The IDF further said that Hamas militants in the city are hiding in tunnels underneath houses and in buildings with innocent civilians, calling for residents to "distance" themselves from members of Hamas "who are using you as human shields."
Military authorities also said that civilians may return to Gaza when another announcement is made, per the statement.
AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty
Burnt out vehicles in Ashkelon, Israel, after Hamas rockets launched an attack on Oct. 7, 2023Meanwhile, Hamas brushed off the Israeli military’s evacuation warning and called for people to stay in Gaza. The group said, according to The Washington Post: “Our Palestinian people reject the threat made by the leaders of the occupation and its call for Gazans to leave their houses and leave to the south or to Egypt.”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) described Israel’s call for a mass civilian evacuation from Gaza within 24 hours as “horrendous.” Its commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini , said in a news release: "This will only lead to unprecedented levels of misery and further push people in Gaza into the abyss."
“Since 7 October, over 423,000 people have already been displaced. Of them, more than 270,000 have taken refuge in UNRWA shelters, where basic food, medicine and support is provided to retain dignity and a glimmer of hope,” Lazzarini added. “The scale and speed of the unfolding humanitarian crisis is bone-chilling. Gaza is fast becoming a hell hole and is on the brink of collapse.”
Lazzarini urged the two sides to follow the laws of war and that humanitarian help must be provided to civilians. “The time for humanity to prevail is now," the U.N. official said.
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Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty
Israeli soldiers ride a tank near the Israel-Gaza border on Oct. 9, 2023Since the assault by Hamas over the weekend, an ensuing war has claimed more than 2,800 lives from both sides, the Associated Press reported. The number of fatalities in Israel from the Hamas attacks is over 1,300, including 27 Americans, per NBC News, which cited U.S. officials. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said 1,537 people have been killed in Gaza.
Hamas militants have also reportedly kidnapped 150 people and brought them into Gaza, per BBC News.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Friday to discuss the Hamas attacks and efforts to free the hostages.
A statement from the U.S. State Department about the visit read: “The Secretary underscored that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination and discussed ways to address the humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza while Israel conducts legitimate security operations to defend itself from terrorism.”
Blinken also met with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to the Middle East this week.
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