Gaza Interior Ministry urges residents to defy Israeli evacuation orders, warns of danger in southern areas

By Mohamed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Interior Ministry in Gaza urged residents in northern Gaza on Saturday to defy Israeli evacuation orders, warning that the southern regions, which the Israeli army claims are “safe,” are also facing constant bombardment, despite claims by the Israeli army that they are “safe.”

The ministry’s statement came hours after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings to large sections of northern Gaza, advising residents to leave as part of an expanding military offensive that began on Oct. 6.

“We urge all our people to remain steadfast and not leave their homes, particularly in the areas threatened by the occupation this morning,” the statement read. For those feeling endangered, the ministry advised finding shelter in nearby locations rather than moving south, where heavy shelling and casualties continue despite assurances of safety.

The ministry also called on the international community and global institutions to pressure Israel to end what it described as “genocide and forced displacement against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued orders for residents of “area D5” to evacuate. A map released by the army marked large parts of northern Gaza, including Jabalia and sections of Sheikh Radwan, in red as designated evacuation zones.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, tens of thousands of Palestinians live in these areas, many of whom had already fled from Jabalia and nearby towns due to the ongoing Israeli incursion.

The violence in Gaza has intensified since Oct. 6, following a major escalation in northern Gaza that marks the fiercest clashes since May. Israel’s offensive began after a cross-border incursion by Hamas on Oct. 7 of last year, prompting a military response despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 42,200 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 98,300 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara