Gaza City Evacuation ‘Inevitable,’ Says Israeli Military

The Israeli army has told Palestinians that their evacuation from Gaza City is “inevitable” as its forces prepare to conquer it.

In a post on Wednesday X, the army’s Arabic spokesman, Avichay Adrai, said that families relocated to the south would receive “the most generous humanitarian assistance.”

Witnesses reported that Israeli tanks had pushed into a new area of ​​Gaza City overnight, forcing more residents to flee. Thousands have already been displaced by the recent Israeli advance – mostly to other parts of the city, where about a million Palestinians still live.

The evacuation comes as US President Donald Trump is expected to chair a meeting at the White House on a post-war vision for Gaza.

In early August, Israel announced plans to seize the entire Gaza Strip – including Gaza City, which it describes as Hamas’s last stronghold.

The United Nations and non-governmental organizations have warned that the Israeli offensive in Gaza City will have a “horrific humanitarian impact.”

On Tuesday night, tanks entered the Ibad al-Rahman district, located on the northern outskirts of the city, and destroyed several homes, Reuters news agency reported.

“Suddenly, we heard tanks entering Ibad al-Rahman, the sound of explosions became louder and we saw people running towards our area,” Saad Abed told Reuters in a message from his home on Jala Street, about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away.

On Wednesday, the tanks reportedly withdrew to Jabaliya, where they are operating further north.

The bombardment also continued in the Shezayya, Zeitoun and Sabra districts of Gaza City.

The Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday that its troops had engaged in fighting in the Jabalia area and on the outskirts of Gaza City, adding that they had destroyed a “terrorist cell” and found a weapons storage facility.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared Israel’s intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release deal collapsed last month.

But Netanyahu is facing both international and domestic pressure.

On Tuesday evening, thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv to demand a ceasefire deal to return the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Only 20 of the 50 hostages are believed to be alive.

In Washington on Tuesday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the White House was working on “a very comprehensive plan” for post-war Gaza.

He told Fox News that the plan “for the next few days” would be discussed at a “large meeting at the White House” chaired by Trump on Wednesday.

He did not provide any details but said he hoped the Gaza conflict would be resolved “one way or another, certainly before the end of this year.”

On October 7, 2023, the Israeli military launched an operation in Gaza in response to Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, about 62,900 people have been killed in Gaza since then.

Most of Gaza’s population has been displaced multiple times; more than 90% of homes are believed to have been damaged or destroyed; and health, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed; and UN-backed global food security experts have confirmed that famine is imminent in the Gaza City area.