Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate more areas in Gaza Strip

Army spokesman Avichay Adraee in a statement issued “a call to all residents and displaced people in the Jabalia area and the neighborhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Nour, Tal Al-Zaatar, Beit Lahia Project, Jabalia Camp, Ezbet Mlin, Al-Rawda, Al-Nuzha, Al-Jarn, Al-Nahda, and Al-Zuhour” in the northern Gaza Strip demanding that they “go immediately to the shelters west of Gaza City”.

The army also demanded the evacuation of some neighborhoods in eastern Rafah, a southern Gaza city where it has expanded operations.

It called “on some neighborhoods in eastern Rafah … specifically in the Rafah and Shaboura camps, and the neighborhoods of Al-Adari, Al-Jeneina, and Khirbat Al-Adas in blocks 6-9, 17, 25-27, 31” to “head to the expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi”.

The military had earlier ordered 100,000 displaced Palestinian residents in Rafah to evacuate to Al-Mawasi ahead of launching an invasion.

Several countries had warned Israel against carrying out a military operation in Rafah, which houses at least 1.4 million displaced Palestinians.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas which killed around 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,950 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have since been killed, and nearly 78,600 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Seven months into the conflict, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is “plausible” that Tel Aviv is committing genocide in Gaza, ordering it to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

South Africa on Friday asked the ICJ to order Israel to withdraw from Rafah as part of additional emergency measures over the war.