Israel begins mass evacuation of Gazans ahead of ground offensive

IDF’s Arabic spokesman warns Gazans to evacuate Israeli frontier, including much of northern Gaza, likely indicating impending ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for Gazans living near the border Tuesday morning, indicating a possible impending ground operation.

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, issued a statement urging Gazans living on the periphery of the Gaza Strip to evacuate away from the Israeli and Egyptian frontiers toward the interior of the Strip.

“Warning to all residents of the Gaza Strip who are in the area marked in red, specifically in the neighborhoods of Beit Hanoun, Khirbet Khuza’a, Abasan al-Kabira and al-Jadida,” Adraee wrote on X, alongside a map showing the evacuation zone spanning much of the northern and eastern Gaza Strip.

“The IDF has launched a massive offensive against terrorist organizations. These designated areas are considered dangerous combat zones!”

“For your own safety, you must evacuate immediately to the known shelters in western Gaza City and those in Khan Yunis.”

“Staying in the evacuation zones puts your life and the lives of your family members at risk.”

The evacuation warnings were issued hours after Israeli warplanes struck dozens of targets across the Gaza Strip.

The attacks mark the end of the de facto ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

While the six-week January 19th ceasefire expired on March 2nd, Israel declined to resume large-scale military operations as the U.S. attempted to broker an extension of the deal, with a continuation of hostage releases.

Hamas, however, refused to free additional hostages without a comprehensive agreement to permanently end the war in Gaza, including the full withdrawal of all IDF forces.

The Israeli military’s evacuation orders Tuesday are the latest indication the IDF is planning a sweeping ground operation in Gaza.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to open “the gates of hell” in Gaza and to strike with an intensity “never seen before” if the remaining 59 hostages are not immediately returned.

“Tonight we returned to fighting in Gaza in light of Hamas’s refusal to release the hostages and amid its threats to harm IDF soldiers and Israeli communities,” Katz said.

“We will not stop fighting until all of the hostages return home and all the war’s aims are achieved.”