Israel’s military urged Palestinians in Gaza City on Saturday to relocate to a designated humanitarian area in the south, as the military expands operations in preparation for controlling the famine-stricken city.
Certain sections of the city, which houses nearly a million people, have already been labeled as “red zones,” with evacuation orders issued in anticipation of intense fighting.
Humanitarian organizations have consistently warned that a mass evacuation of Gaza City could worsen the severe humanitarian crisis. The nearly two-year conflict has repeatedly displaced Palestinians, many of whom are too weak to move and have no place to go.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X that the army has designated Muwasi—a provisional tent camp in the southern Gaza Strip—as a humanitarian zone, urging all residents in the city, described as a Hamas stronghold and combat area, to evacuate. The army mentioned that residents could drive along a specific road without being searched.
A military statement included a map indicating the humanitarian zone’s coverage in Khan Younis, which encompasses the block containing Nasser Hospital. Although the area around the hospital is marked as a red zone, the hospital itself is not under evacuation. Israel attacked the hospital last week, resulting in the deaths of 22 people, including Mariam Dagga, an Associated Press staff member. The hospital was not subject to an evacuation order.
The designated safe zone will include field hospitals, water pipelines, food, and tents, with ongoing relief efforts in collaboration with the U.N. and international organizations, according to the statement. The United Nations was unavailable for immediate comment.
Throughout the conflict, Israeli forces have targeted humanitarian areas, including Muwasi, previously declared a safe zone, as per Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The evacuation order was issued a day after Israel targeted a skyscraper in Gaza City, alleging its use by Hamas for surveillance, without presenting evidence.
The conflict began after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 individuals, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 251 people in an assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Many hostages have since been released through ceasefires or other agreements.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has resulted in over 64,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but reports that about half of the deceased are women and children. The U.N. and independent experts regard it as the most dependable source for war casualty figures. Israel challenges these numbers but has not provided alternative data.
Israel contends that the conflict will persist until all hostages are freed and Hamas is disarmed, asserting ongoing security control over the territory’s 2 million Palestinians. Hamas has indicated it will release the remaining hostages only in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.