Crystal Charles
The Israeli military on Tuesday issued its most sweeping evacuation order yet, urging all Palestinians to leave Gaza City ahead of a planned ground offensive in the northern enclave.
The call came as hundreds of thousands of residents already face famine and displacement in one of the world’s most densely populated areas. Until now, Israeli warnings had targeted specific neighborhoods. Tuesday’s directive marked the first demand for a full evacuation of the city in the current round of fighting.
Associated Press reporters observed a rise in cars and trucks leaving Gaza City for the south, but no mass exodus. Many families remain unable or unwilling to move, citing overcrowded shelters, prohibitive transport costs, and doubts about whether southern Gaza offers greater safety.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel has demolished 30 high-rise buildings in Gaza City, accusing Hamas of using them for military infrastructure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu separately claimed Israel has destroyed at least 50 “terror towers,” calling the demolitions “only the beginning” of an intensified ground incursion.
The United Nations estimates one million people remain in northern Gaza, about half of the territory’s population of 2.1 million. Since Israel launched its offensive on August 14, nearly 97,000 displacements have been recorded in the north, with about half moving south, according to the humanitarian coalition Site Management Cluster.
Aid groups warn that mass evacuation is impossible under current conditions. UN officials said it can cost more than $1,000 to relocate to the south, while temporary shelters and tents remain stalled at border crossings. “No area in Gaza can absorb such a massive evacuation safely or with dignity,” International Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric cautioned.
Hospitals continue to operate under strain. At Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, Dr. Rami Mhanna reported “tense” conditions for staff and patients but said he had not observed widespread displacement near the facility.
The UN refugee agency added that Israeli strikes on residential towers have left dozens of families homeless, “on the streets without shelter or basic necessities.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported Tuesday that six adults died in the last 24 hours from malnutrition-related causes, bringing the total since June to 259. Another 140 children have died of starvation-related complications since the war began.
The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel and abducted 251 others. Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with around 20 believed alive.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has since killed at least 64,522 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says roughly half of the dead are women and children. Vast sections of Gaza lie in ruins, and about 90 percent of the enclave’s population has been displaced.