Israel orders Palestinians to ‘immediately’ evacuate several areas in Gaza City

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli army ordered Palestinian residents in several areas in the Gaza Strip on Monday to evacuate immediately.

Such evacuation orders usually precede airstrikes, artillery, and ground attacks by the Israeli army, indicating that these areas will see intense combat.

“Urgent call to all residents and displaced persons in the Sabra, Rimal, Tel al-Hawa, and Daraj areas. You must evacuate immediately to shelters in Deir al-Balah in the humanitarian zone,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on X.

Since the start of its ground operations in Gaza on Oct. 27, the Israeli army has issued similar orders, causing massive displacement and widespread panic among Palestinians.

Despite claims that designated areas by the army were “safe,” they were repeatedly targeted, leading to casualties among those fleeing the bombardment.

Early on Monday, the Israeli army launched a ground operation against several targets in Gaza City, including the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

Nearly 38,200 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 87,900 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio