Gazans flee Rafah to Khan Yunis after the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of the city in the southern Gaza Strip. (Abed Rahim Khatib/FLASH90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears set to move forward with a cabinet decision to conquer Gaza City.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday reiterated its call for civilians to leave Gaza City, with a senior spokesman saying the evacuation is unavoidable as troops prepare for the next stage of the war.
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, dismissed what he described as “false rumors” that there is no space for displaced residents in the south of the Strip.
In a statement addressed to residents of Gaza City and the northern areas, he emphasized that vast empty areas have been surveyed in the southern region, including the central refugee camps and Al-Mawasi, which are available to accommodate evacuees.
“Evacuating Gaza City is inevitable,” Adraee said. “Every family that relocates to the south will receive the most abundant humanitarian aid. The IDF is working to introduce tents, prepare areas for distributing aid, and lay water lines.”
He stressed that the evacuation was being carried out to protect civilians before the army moves forward with the next phase of the war.
Israeli troops remained on the outskirts of Gaza City on Wednesday, continuing operations while urging civilians to move south ahead of a planned offensive deeper into the city.
The push comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears set to move forward with a cabinet decision to conquer Gaza City, despite international pressure for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal.
Israeli officials have rejected proposals for a partial hostage exchange, insisting Jerusalem will only agree to an arrangement that ensures the release of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas.
In Washington, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said Israel is still reviewing “what the possibilities are” for a ceasefire deal, but he clarified that the war will not end until Hamas either surrenders or is dismantled.
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