The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told all civilians to evacuate Gaza City, calling for about 1 million Palestinians to move south “for your own safety and the safety of your families,” with the U.N. warning the move risked “devastating humanitarian consequences.”
The evacuation call comes amid growing expectations that Israel is set to launch a ground assault on Gaza, as it seeks to wipe out Hamas militants in the wake of last weekend’s devastating attacks, which killed 1,300 Israelis. Dozens of people were kidnapped and taken to Gaza.
Officials in Gaza say more than 1,500 people have been killed there in Israel’s retaliatory strikes, and Palestinians protest Israel’s ultimate goal is to press Gazans into Egypt. Hamas, the Islamist party which rules Gaza, called on people not to flee. Al Jazeera cited the Hamas Authority for Refugees telling residents in the north to “remain steadfast in your homes and to stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation.”
The Israeli forces said they need civilians to leave to avoid casualties as they ramp up their attack on Hamas — which has told Palestinians to stay in place.
In an announcement to residents of Gaza, the IDF said: “Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians.” Israel told civilians to “Distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields.”
The United Nations called on Israel to reverse course, with a spokesperson saying the evacuation “could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation.”
“The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences,” said Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesperson for U.N. chief António Guterres.
The World Health Organization also urged the reversal of the evacuation order, with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying: “Without immediate entry of aid, essential health care services will come to a halt.”
Meanwhile, Egypt is resisting calls for it to allow civilians to flee Gaza across its border through the Rafah crossing, with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi telling Palestinians to “stay steadfast and remain on [their] land.”
Israel’s former National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata called on Egypt “to bear responsibility.” In an interview with POLITICO, Hulata said civilians ought to be able to leave via the Rafah crossing, which is policed by Egyptian border guards. “Egypt is right there and they can absorb [refugees] into Egypt and to Sinai. Temporarily of course, because Israel does not aim at the conquering of the Gaza Strip.”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), meanwhile, announced it had “relocated its central operations center [and] international staff to the south” of Gaza. “We urge the Israeli Authorities to protect all civilians in @UNRWA shelters including schools,” the agency said on social media.
Against that backdrop, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen were heading to Israel on Friday “to express solidarity with the victims of the Hamas terrorist attacks, and meet with Israeli leadership,” according to a social media post.
The details of the one-day trip, which comes after an invitation from the Knesset, are yet to be released, but Metsola is expected to highlight the need to establish humanitarian corridors and safeguard critical civilian infrastructure in Gaza, as Israel mounts its response to the attacks.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday, where he was due to meet with his Israeli counterpart and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Defense officials traveling with Austin said he wants to underscore America’s unwavering support for the people of Israel and that the United States is committed to making sure the country has what it needs to defend itself, the Associated Press reported.
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said Israel’s call for civilians to leave Gaza is “providing that warning in advance of action in order to preserve life.”
“Last weekend we saw that terrorist organization [Hamas] go after innocent men, women and children and the elderly and Israel, of course, has the right to go after those terrorists,” Shapps told Times Radio Friday morning. “Unlike the terrorists, it’s warning people in advance where they believe the terrorists are, who cower amongst citizens and use them as human shields.”
But Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said a mass evacuation of Gaza City “would have a devastating impact on the humanitarian situation,” adding: “Human lives must not become the greatest collateral damage of this conflict.”
Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf, whose parents-in-law are trapped in Gaza, said in a post on X: “The international community must step up and demand an end to collective punishment. Enough. There can be no justification for the death of innocent men, women & children.”
This article is being updated.
Nicolas Camut contributed reporting.