Israel orders residents to leave Gaza City ahead of offensive

Netanyahu

Israeli army told Gaza City residents to flee to a “humanitarian zone” in the south on Saturday ahead of a planned offensive to capture the territory’s largest urban centre.

The military gave no timeline for the assault, and has previously indicated it would not be announced in advance to maintain the element of surprise.

“Take this opportunity to move early to the (Al-Mawasi) humanitarian zone and join the thousands of people who have already gone there,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on social media.

The army said separately that Al-Mawasi, on Gaza’s southern coast, has “field hospitals, water pipelines, and desalination facilities, alongside the continued supply of food, tents, medicines, and medical equipment”.

It said relief efforts there “will continue on an ongoing basis in cooperation with the UN and international organisations, in parallel to the expansion of the ground operation”.

Israel first declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone early in the war, but has carried out repeated strikes there since, saying it targeted Hamas fighters hiding among civilians.

Gaza City residents told AFP on Saturday that they believed it made little difference whether they stayed or fled. Punch