Israel orders central Gaza Strip to be evacuated for ‘immediate’ military attack

The Israeli army issued new evacuation orders in the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, to pave the way for an "immediate" military operation, a statement by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said.

The evacuation order covered many areas, including Al-Maghazi, Salah Al-Din Street, Al-Farouq and Al-Amal areas.

The forced displacement of Palestinians through evacuation orders has repeatedly been used since the start of Israel’s war on the enclave on 7 October.

Adraee claimed that the order was given because of "the backdrop of continuous rocket fire by Hamas and terrorist organisations from these areas".

He added that residents should move to a designated humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi, west of the Strip, despite Israeli forces previously targeting people in safe zones.

On Friday, Israeli forces reduced the space of the humanitarian zone even further, demanding that Palestinians sheltering there leave as they carry out military operations.

UNRWA, the UN agency providing assistance to Palestinian refugees, said that since October, Israel has placed around 84 percent of the Gaza Strip under evacuation orders.

In recent weeks, there has been a marked uptick in forced evacuation orders, particularly in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah.

According to the Deir Al-Balah municipality, the orders have resulted in the shutdown of 10 essential water wells, amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis.

"Access to three other wells west of Salah al-Din Street has become hazardous," Ismail Sarsour, the head of the municipality’s Emergency Committee said in a statement, adding the situation in the area is likely to worsen in the coming days.

The new evacuation orders come despite reports in Israel’s Channel 11 which cite Israeli security sources as saying the fighting in Gaza "has been exhausted".

"Israel can return and re-enter the Strip when there is new intelligence information that is available, but in general, the Israeli army’s operations in Gaza are over," the sources reportedly said.

The orders also come just days after truce talks resumed in Doha, with Hamas officials stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is stalling a ceasefire deal by not honouring the terms agreed and adding new ones.

Israel’s war on Gaza has displaced nearly 2 million people out of a total population of 2.3 million and killed over 40,000 others.