• Direct Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, last minute
  • Tension Israel orders evacuation of northern Gaza in 24 hours to launch unprecedented ground offensive
  • Testimony "No one is safe in Gaza: even ambulances are destroyed by bombs"

What has Israel ordered?

Israel has warned people in the northern Gaza Strip to leave their homes and head south within 24 hours in the face of Israel's imminent ground invasion. The advisory covers about half of the territory, where 40% of its population resides, some 1,190,000 Palestinians. This warning has caused fear and bewilderment to thousands of Palestinians, who have no means to move so quickly to an uncertain place, especially after Israel cut off the supply of water, electricity and gasoline to Gaza days ago. Images on social media showed thousands of Palestinians fleeing in their vehicles or on horseback, while others move slowly on foot with few belongings. The UN has warned that it is "impossible for relocation to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences." The organization's spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, has called on Israel to withdraw the order to avoid turning "a calamitous situation into a tragedy."

What territory does Israel want to evacuate?

Israel wants to empty the north of the Strip to the Wadi River, which crosses the Strip horizontally, establishing a natural boundary of land. The exodus would mean that 2.3 million Palestinians have to be crammed into about 150 square kilometers. In northern Gaza there are refugee camps and many hospitals with dozens of civilians admitted that it is very difficult to displace in such a short period of time. The displacement is occurring as Israel continues to pound neighborhoods across southern Gaza. In the past seven days, at least 423,000 people, one in five Gazans, have been forced from their homes by Israeli airstrikes, the UN said Thursday. "We are talking about half of the population (of Gaza) moving to live in half the space in which they used to live," the organization noted. The UN compared the Israeli order to a "second Nakba," referring to the massive displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 war, in which Israel began forming and occupying Palestinian territories. However, in the flight from the Nakba the number of affected was lower, about 750,000 Palestinians. "Forget about food, forget about electricity, forget about fuel, the only concern now is whether you can survive, whether you are going to live," Nebal Farsakh, spokesman for the Palestine Red Crescent, told Al Jazeera.

How has Israel warned Gazans?

Israel warned the people of Gaza by dropping leaflets from several planes. Many civilians learned of the order in the morning, six to eight hours after the 24 hours given to them by Israel. The Israeli military says the evacuation is for its own "safety" as they plan to "operate significantly in Gaza City in the coming days." "They will only be able to return to Gaza City when another announcement is made that allows it. Do not approach the area of the security fence with the State of Israel," the note warns.

What has Hamas said?

The Hamas group, which controls the Gaza Strip, said it was a fake advertisement to "spread propaganda, with the aim of sowing confusion among citizens and damaging our internal cohesion." "(There are) two options: defeat this occupation or die in our homes," said the organization's foreign minister, Basem Naim. "We're not leaving. We are not prepared to repeat another Nakba," he added, referring to the expulsion of Palestinians after the 1948 war.

How many civilians have already been killed since Saturday?

The Hamas attack on Israel last Saturday and the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip have killed 1,300 people in Israel, including 247 soldiers, a figure the country has not suffered in decades. Israeli strikes have killed 1,530 civilians in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. For its part, Hamas announced that at least 13 Israeli and foreign hostages held by the armed wing of the Palestinian group have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours. "Thirteen prisoners, including foreigners, were killed in five Gaza locations attacked by Israeli warplanes," it said in a statement.

What has Iran said?

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned yesterday that continued attacks on Palestinians would provoke a response from the "rest of the axis," referring to Tehran and Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah's support for Palestinian militant groups. Hezbollah, for its part, said its armed wing is "ready" to contribute to clashes against Israel.

  • Israel
  • Gaza Strip
  • Hamas
  • Palestine