Written by Were Kelly
The Israeli military on Saturday ordered Palestinians in Gaza City to evacuate to the south, as its forces advanced deeper into the enclave’s largest urban area in a major escalation of its offensive.
The assault, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered to capture what he calls a Hamas stronghold, threatens to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering there from nearly two years of fighting. Before the war, approximately one million people, nearly half of Gaza’s population, lived in the city.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on the social media platform X that residents should leave for a designated coastal area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, which he described as a “humanitarian zone” where they would be able to receive food, medical care, and shelter.
The order comes as the military stated on Thursday that it had seized control of almost half of Gaza City and about 75% of the entire Gaza Strip. For weeks, Israeli forces have been carrying out heavy strikes and advancing through the city’s outer suburbs, with troops now within a few kilometres of the city centre.
According to Israeli officials, Netanyahu’s decision to capture the city was made against the advice of Israel’s military leadership but was backed by his right-wing coalition allies. Despite its hesitation, the military has called up tens of thousands of reservists to support the operation.
The war, sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken, has left Israel increasingly diplomatically isolated. Some of its closest allies have condemned a campaign that has devastated the small territory.
Local health authorities in Gaza say more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with much of the enclave reduced to ruins and its residents facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
The renewed offensive also complicates ongoing hostage negotiations. There are growing calls within Israel, led by families of the captives, to end the war in a diplomatic deal that would secure the release of the remaining 48 hostages, of whom Israeli officials believe 20 are still alive.
While Hamas has offered to release some hostages for a temporary ceasefire—similar to terms discussed before negotiations collapsed in July—Netanyahu is pushing for an “all-or-nothing” deal that would see all hostages released at once and Hamas surrendering.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington was in “very deep” negotiations with the Palestinian militants. Hamas has long stated it would release all hostages only if Israel agreed to a permanent end to the war and a full withdrawal of its forces from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that military operations would intensify until Hamas accepts Israel’s conditions: releasing the hostages and disarming. “Otherwise,” he said, “the group would be destroyed.”
SOURCE: REUTERS
