JERUSALEM (VINnews) — More than 550,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza City to the southern part of the Strip since late August, according to the Israeli military, as the IDF intensifies its ground offensive against Hamas.
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Before the offensive began, roughly one million Palestinians were believed to be living in Gaza City. The IDF ordered civilians in all neighborhoods to evacuate to an Israeli-designated “humanitarian zone” in the south.
To facilitate the evacuation, the military said it issued warnings via text and voice messages, dropped leaflets, and conducted phone calls. In southern Gaza, the IDF said it has expanded humanitarian infrastructure, including additional field hospitals, restored water connections and desalination facilities, and continued deliveries of food, tents, medicines, and medical equipment.
“The IDF calls on the civilians in the Gaza Strip to heed the official instructions for their safety and to avoid staying in areas defined as dangerous,” the army said in a statement.
Despite the efforts, the IDF accused Hamas of trying to block civilians from leaving Gaza City, saying the terror group is using the population as “human shields” in violation of international law.
Meanwhile, the military said three divisions — the 162nd, 98th, and 36th — have completed their entry into Gaza City and begun operations in what it called “Hamas terror strongholds.”
