Israeli Defense Forces Urge Gaza Residents to Evacuate

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have urged residents in the Gaza Strip to evacuate southward from the region. The IDF's press service released a statement on its Telegram channel.

“Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City, in tunnels beneath homes and within buildings where innocent civilians live,” the IDF explained in its call.

The IDF press service added that residents will only be able to return to their homes after receiving appropriate notification.

The United Nations has appealed to Israel to rescind the evacuation order, emphasizing that the evacuation could lead to a "catastrophic situation" and have "devastating humanitarian consequences." According to UN estimates, the evacuation order is expected to affect approximately 1.1 million people in the coming 24 hours.

In response, Israel condemned the UN's reaction to its evacuation order, accusing the organization of "preaching to Israel instead of standing by its side..." and urged it to focus instead on working towards the return of hostages held by Hamas.