Israel tells 'everyone in Gaza City' to leave

The Israeli military has issued an evacuation order for all residents of Gaza City, instructing them to move south to the central Gaza Strip. This directive comes amid intensified military operations in the northern part of the city. Leaflets dropped by aircraft have informed residents that Gaza City is now considered a 'dangerous combat zone' and have provided two designated safe routes leading to shelters in Deir al-Balah and al-Zawaida. The United Nations has expressed deep concern over these evacuation orders. This is the second time since the conflict began that the entire population of Gaza City has been asked to evacuate. Over the past two weeks, Israeli forces have re-entered several districts where they believe Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters have regrouped. Hamas has stated that Israel's renewed activity in the city is linked to ongoing ceasefire and hostage release negotiations, which resumed on Wednesday in Qatar. These talks are being attended by intelligence chiefs from Egypt, the US, and Israel, as well as the prime minister of Qatar. A senior Hamas official, Hossam Badran, told AFP that Israel is attempting to exert pressure on the negotiations by intensifying bombing operations, displacing people, and committing massacres. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized Israel's commitment to a deal, provided its 'red lines are preserved.

There are currently more than a quarter-of-a-million people still residing in Gaza City. Some residents have been seen evacuating to the south following the Israeli military's leaflet drop, which an Israeli official later clarified was a recommendation rather than a strict instruction. However, many residents are unwilling to leave. Ibrahim al-Barbari, a 47-year-old resident, told the BBC, 'I will not leave Gaza City. I will not make the stupid mistake that others have made. Israeli missiles do not differentiate between north and south. If death is my fate and the fate of my children, we will die with honour and dignity in our homes. ' The Palestinian Red Crescent has reported receiving calls from residents who are unable to leave their homes due to the intensity of the bombing. 'The information coming from Gaza City shows residents are living through tragic conditions. Israeli occupation forces continue to hit residential districts and displace people from their homes and refuge shelters,' the organization stated.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that its troops had conducted a counterterrorism operation overnight against Hamas and PIJ fighters operating inside a headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in Gaza City. The troops reportedly opened a 'defined corridor to facilitate the evacuation of civilians' from the area before entering the structure and 'eliminating terrorists in close-quarters combat. ' There has been no immediate comment from Unrwa. The IDF also reported killing dozens of fighters in Gaza City's eastern Shejaiya district and dismantling an underground tunnel route over the past day. Speaking in the Israeli parliament on Wednesday, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant claimed that 60% of Hamas fighters had been killed or wounded since Israel's offensive began. The BBC has not been able to independently verify these figures.

On Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Office expressed significant concern over IDF orders for residents to evacuate to 'areas where Israeli military operations are ongoing and where civilians continue to be killed and injured. ' The office also warned that the Deir al-Balah area is already severely overcrowded with Palestinians displaced from other parts of Gaza and that there is limited infrastructure and access to humanitarian assistance. The Israeli military launched its campaign in Gaza to dismantle the Hamas group in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 38,295 people have been killed in the territory since then. The ministry's figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but it has reportedly identified 14,680 children, women, and elderly people among the dead by the end of April.