Benjamin Netanyahu's government warned that the maneuver aims to dismantle Hamas's terrorist infrastructure and protect civilians
On the Palestinian side, authorities linked to Hamas denounced the evacuation as "forced displacement." However, Israel insists that its priority is to protect civilians and neutralize the terrorist group, which it accuses of using the population as human shields.
The Israel Army issued an unprecedented order on Tuesday: the immediate evacuation of all residents of Gaza City. The measure is part of preparations for a large-scale ground operation against Hamas, an organization identified as responsible for multiple terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians.
Military spokesperson Colonel Avichay Adraee, in a message in Arabic broadcast on the social network X, was categorical: "The Defense Forces are determined to defeat Hamas and will act in the area with force." He also asked the population to move south along the Al Rashid coastal road, designated as a humanitarian corridor.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the military order and recalled the progress made in recent days. "In two days we brought down 50 towers used by Hamas for terrorism, and this is just the beginning. We tell the residents: you have already been warned, leave now," he said in a message released on video.
Netanyahu emphasized that the current actions are only the initial phase of a large-scale ground operation aimed at eradicating Hamas's presence in Gaza City.
Defense Minister Israel Katz was emphatic in warning that "Gaza will be reduced to rubble if Hamas doesn't release the hostages and lay down its arms". Katz described the offensive as "an unprecedented hurricane," with dozens of strategic buildings already destroyed to facilitate the entry of ground forces.
The mass evacuation order marks a turning point in the war. Israel seeks to accelerate the dismantling of Hamas, attack its command centers, and eliminate the positions from which terrorist attacks are coordinated.
Although humanitarian agencies warn about the mass displacement of civilians, Israel keeps that the operation is necessary to guarantee the future security of both Israelis and Palestinians who currently suffer under the control and abuse of the extremist group.
