The Israeli military on Tuesday issued its first full evacuation order for Gaza City since the current phase of fighting began, marking a major escalation in its campaign against what it describes as Hamas’ last significant urban stronghold.
The order calls on roughly one million civilians in and around Gaza City to move south to a designated humanitarian zone. Previous directives had targeted specific neighborhoods, but this is the first blanket evacuation notice for the entire city.
Israeli officials said the move follows intensified operations in the north, including demolitions of high-rise buildings alleged to have been used by Hamas for military purposes. Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that 30 such buildings had been destroyed, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to bring down at least 50, which he described as “towers of terror.”
In recent days, multiple strikes have flattened residential and commercial buildings, with the Israel Defense Forces alleging that Hamas has embedded command centers and communications equipment within civilian infrastructure.
Humanitarian organizations have warned that the large-scale displacement could have devastating consequences in a densely populated and war-ravaged area. Many civilians say there are no safe zones left, and conditions in the south are already overwhelmed by earlier waves of displaced families. Aid agencies report that only a small fraction of Gaza City’s residents have complied with the evacuation order so far.
The United Nations and other international bodies have urged restraint and renewed calls for civilian protection as fears of worsening humanitarian collapse mount.
