From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
IDF says Gaza City evacuation ‘unavoidable,’ dismisses ‘false rumors’ there’s no more room in south Gaza for displaced residents
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee dismisses what he calls “false rumors” that there is no space available in southern Gaza for displaced residents, as the military urges civilians in Gaza City and northern Gaza to evacuate ahead of its planned offensive to capture the city and target Hamas’s remaining strongholds.
In a video message posted on X, Adraee says the army has surveyed large open areas in southern Gaza, including in the central refugee camps and in Al-Mawasi, which he describes as empty of tents and ready to receive evacuees.
He says that evacuation from Gaza City is “unavoidable” and pledges that families moving south will receive increased humanitarian assistance.
According to the statement, preparations are underway for tent encampments, aid distribution centers, and water infrastructure.
The statement comes after UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said earlier this week that roughly 5,000 people had been displaced from northern Gaza to Deir al-Balah in the central Strip and to Khan Younis in the south since August 20. Another 8,000 have been displaced to the west of Gaza City, bringing the total number of new displacements since the end of the March ceasefire to more than 800,000.
#عاجل ‼️بيان مهم إلى سكان قطاع غزة وتحديدًا في مدينة غزة وشمال القطاع بخصوص ما ينشر من إشاعات كاذبة بأنه لا يوجد مكان فارغ في جنوب القطاع لانتقال السكان
⭕️قبيل التحول إلى المرحلة التالية في الحرب أود أن أؤكد بأن هنالك مناطق شاسعة فارغة في جنوب القطاع كما هو الحال في مخيمات… pic.twitter.com/SfApZFZKYb— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) August 27, 2025
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