IDF orders fresh Gaza evacuations, including from parts of humanitarian zone where Hamas is operating
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF issues new evacuation warnings for Palestinians in the Khan Younis area, and has further adjusted the boundaries of the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone.
The al-Jalaa neighborhood of Khan Younis will no longer be considered part of the humanitarian zone, as the IDF says it is planning to operate there against Hamas activity.
“Due to many acts of terrorism, the exploitation of the humanitarian zone for terrorist activity and the firing of rockets at the State of Israel from the al-Jalaa neighborhood, remaining in this area has become dangerous,” the IDF says.
The military says that it is adjusting the humanitarian zone based on “precise intelligence indicating that Hamas has embedded terror infrastructure in the area.”
According to the IDF, the early warning is aimed at mitigating harm to civilians.
“The IDF is about to operate against the terror organizations in the area and therefore calls on the remaining population left in the al-Jalaa neighborhood to temporarily evacuate to the adjusted humanitarian zone,” the military says.
The IDF’s calls to civilians are being communicated via leaflets dropped by aircraft, SMS messages, phone calls and media broadcasts.
A military source says hospitals in the area do not need to evacuate, and that the IDF has communicated this to Palestinian health officials and officials in the international community.
