Israel Orders Gaza City Evacuation Ahead of New Offensive

On September 9, the Israeli military ordered the residents of Gaza City to evacuate ahead of a new offensive. Israel has warned that it will intensify military attacks in the sector if Hamas does not release the last hostages it holds.

"I say to the residents of Gaza: take this opportunity and listen to me carefully. You have been warned—get out of there," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The evacuation order has caused panic and confusion among the residents of the sector's largest urban center.

Some said they would be forced to leave for the south, but many said they would stay because they do not feel safe anywhere else. Gaza's residents have already been displaced several times since the war began in October 2023, moving from the north to the south of the coastal enclave amid a worsening humanitarian crisis that has led to famine. This time, the Israeli military instructed the residents of Gaza City to move to the Al-Mawasi area in southern Khan Younis, which they have designated as a "humanitarian zone."

Netanyahu said that Israeli forces are organizing and assembling in Gaza City for a ground "maneuver." Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the military would intensify its campaign with a "powerful storm" if Hamas does not release the last hostages and surrender.

The capture of the city complicates peace efforts to end the nearly two-year-long war. Hamas has stated that it has received some ideas from the United States to reach a peace deal in Gaza and is discussing with mediators ways to develop these ideas. Israel has accepted a peace proposal put forward by US President Donald Trump, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced on September 8.

The offensive comes as several European countries, angered by Israel's bombing of Gaza, have announced that they will recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly this month, a step that Israel rejects.

International critics say that Israel's plan, which includes the demilitarization of the entire sector, could deepen the humanitarian crisis for the 2.2 million population, where famine has been declared in some areas.

Netanyahu said that Israel has no other choice but to finish the job and defeat Hamas, as the extremist group has refused to lay down its arms. Hamas has stated that it will not disarm until an independent Palestinian state is established.

It is recalled that the latest escalation began in 2023. After the Hamas attack in 2023, during which, according to Israeli estimates, about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, Israel launched a counter-offensive and today has control over 75% of Gaza. Israeli authorities report that 20 of the 48 remaining hostages in Gaza are alive. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed, almost the entire population has been internally displaced, and a large part of the territory has been turned into ruins.