Israel’s military has delivered sweeping evacuation orders for almost half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people before an expected ground offensive aiming to eradicate the Hamas militant group after its unprecedented assault on Israel and the seizure of dozens of hostages.
In the blockaded enclave, the evacuation notice issued in the early hours of Friday sent panic through civilians and aid workers already struggling under intense Israeli airstrikes, and a blockade in which no food, fuel or medical supplies is being allowed in. The UN considers the tightened siege a war crime.
Hamas tells Gaza residents to stay home as Israel ground offensive looms
Mosques called on residents of the Gaza Strip not to leave their homes on Friday after Israel’s military told all civilians, more than 1 million people, to relocate south ahead of an expected ground invasion that risks high casualties.
This may be the pivotal moment in fighting between the Israeli military and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which on Saturday launched the bloodiest attack on the country since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
