The Israel Defense Forces on Friday 13th, October warned civilians in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes, as it appeared set to intensify its attacks on terrorist targets in the Gaza City region and possibly launch a ground invasion in response to Hamas’s deadly onslaught against southern communities.
The order came as morning broke on the seventh day of the Israel-Gaza war, with the military pressing its widespread air offensive and a total siege on the Strip, which according to international aid organizations has left it on the edge of a humanitarian disaster.
On X, which used to be Twitter, Friday morning, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Jonathan Conricus shared the message that he said was sent to people in Gaza.
“The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians from Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and to move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, the river Gaza, as shown on the map,” said Conricus.
He explained that telling people to go south of the river makes the directions clear for everyone, even if they don’t have a plan.
Conricus said the order to leave is for safety reasons and that people won’t be able to go back to Gaza City until the area is declared safe again. Also, he told them not to get close to the area of the security fence with Israel.
The United Nations told The Associated Press that it got the 24-hour evacuation notice from Israel, and Conricus confirmed that he had talked to the UN.
Hamas runs its operations out of Gaza City, using civilians as human shields in tunnels under homes and inside buildings full of innocent people.
IDF orders evacuation of northern Gaza
In its statement Friday, the IDF said it “calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection, and to move to the area south of Wadi Gaza, as shown on the map.”
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The IDF said it would keep doing a lot of work in Gaza City and would do everything possible to avoid hurting people.
“People in this area are not our enemies, so we don’t want to attack them.” “We are asking them to leave so that we can keep attacking Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip,” Conricus said.
IDF presses air offensive, confirms at least 120 Israelis abducted
Hagari said that in the past day, there had been a number of clashes between troops and terrorists along the Gaza border fence, but few incidents in Israeli territory.
Since Hamas attacked Israel on Saturday, more than 2,800 Israelis and Palestinians have died and at least 9,800 have been hurt. This is as of Thursday night. As reports say that Israeli troops get ready for a ground invasion of Gaza, the number of deaths is likely to rise.
‘Day of temper’
Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council issued a joint statement urging all Israelis abroad to take extra care on Friday, citing Hamas’s call on its supporters worldwide to participate in a “day of rage.”
The group called for mass rallies in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and throughout the Arab and Muslim world on Friday in support of its fight against Israel, leading Jewish communities around the world to up their security.
The group hailed the achievements of its armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and called on young Palestinians in the West Bank to “rise up and go out in roaring crowds” to clash with settlers and soldiers.
It also addressed Arab Israelis, asking them to gather at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa compound on the Temple Mount, to prevent Jews from “desecrating it” and “building on it.”
The site, the third holiest for Muslims and holiest for Jews, is one of the major flashpoints of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with many Palestinians and Muslims around the world denying that the site is sacred to Jews and viewing any Jewish entry as a provocation. It is revered by Jews as the location of the two ancient temples destroyed in antiquity. Known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary, the hilltop compound is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
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Hamas also extended an appeal to Palestinians in the diaspora, as well as “the free people of our Arab and Islamic nation all around the world,” to gather in “the closest point to Jerusalem” in order to show their solidarity with the terror group and stop the “Israeli plans to Judaize Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.”
Israel has repeatedly denied plans to change the status quo on the Mount, but Palestinians have pointed to the growing number of Jews visiting the compound in recent years, particularly during religious festivals.
Israelis abroad were recommended to “show alertness, stay away from protests and demonstrations, and if possible get updates from local security forces about possible protests and incidents of unrest around them.”
As the day began, a convoy of about 15 cars and motorcycles in the Arab Israeli city of Umm al-Fahm in support of Hama was dispersed, police said, adding that four participants were arrested.