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By John Ogunsemore
The Israeli military issued an order on Tuesday for the complete evacuation of Gaza City, home to approximately one million Palestinians, as it prepares for a large-scale ground offensive aimed at seizing control of the enclave’s largest urban centre.
The directive, described as the first comprehensive evacuation order for the entire city in the current conflict, signals an escalation in Israel’s military campaign against Hamas.
“To all residents of Gaza City and all its neighbourhoods, from the Old City and Tuffah in the east to the sea in the west, the IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, just as it did throughout the Strip,” said Col. Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic-language spokesperson, in a statement posted on social media.
He urged civilians to evacuate immediately via the Rashid coastal road to Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.
The evacuation order was reinforced by leaflets dropped across northern Gaza, which included maps directing residents to move westward to the coast before heading south.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that the operation was “only the beginning of the intensified ground manoeuvre in Gaza City,” following intensified airstrikes on the urban area, including the destruction of multiple high-rise buildings.
Israeli officials claim the military already controls about 40 percent of Gaza City and that the operation is essential to dismantle Hamas, which Israel accuses of using residential infrastructure, including high-rise towers, for military purposes.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that 30 such buildings, described as “towers of terror,” have been demolished, with plans to destroy at least 50.
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Despite the evacuation orders, only about 70,000 residents, less than 10% of Gaza City’s population, have fled so far, according to a senior Israeli official.
Humanitarian preparations are struggling to keep pace with the displacement, with only 3,000 tents delivered to the enclave, though Israel aims to provide 100,000 within three weeks.
The United Nations and international critics have raised alarms over the humanitarian impact of the operation.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) described the situation in Gaza City as “the unthinkable,” citing the targeting of residential homes and displacement camps.
Gaza’s Interior Ministry accused Israel of deliberately destroying infrastructure to pressure families into leaving.
The escalation complicates ongoing ceasefire efforts mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, which have failed to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas.
Israel insists on demilitarising the Gaza Strip, while Hamas demands the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The conflict, ongoing since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages, has resulted in over 62,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
