On September 9, the Israeli military ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate before a new offensive. This came after Israel warned it would intensify its strikes on the Gaza Strip in the form of a “mighty hurricane” if Hamas does not release the last hostages it is holding. reports Reuters.
Evacuation orders caused panic and confusion among the city’s residents. Some said they would be forced to go south, while most said they would stay because nowhere else was considered safe.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the residents of Gaza about the need to leave the city immediately, stressing that the troops are concentrating and preparing for a ground “maneuver”.
“I say to the residents of Gaza, take this opportunity and listen carefully to me: you have been warned — go now!” Netanyahu said.
Since the start of the war following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, Israel has established control over 75% of the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli estimates. According to the authorities, 20 of the 48 hostages who remain in Gaza are still alive.
The Ministry of Health of Gaza reports that as a result of subsequent military operations by Israel, more than 62 thousand Palestinians have died, almost the entire population has been internally displaced, and a large part of the territory has been destroyed.
