IDF said firing artillery shells at areas near Gaza City to encourage population to flee

The IDF is firing artillery shells at unpopulated areas near Gaza City in a bid to force the civilian population to flee ahead of the expected operation to capture the city, the Haaretz daily reports.

The move comes amid  IDF assessments reportedly indicating that some 200,000 of Gaza City’s estimated one million residents will refuse to evacuate as the military’s planned conquest of the city nears.

Yesterday, it was reported that 70,000 to 80,000 people had fled the city so far, most within the past 72 hours — a figure still far short of Gaza City’s total civilian population.

Despite repeated IDF calls to head south and the looming danger of the coming offensive — expected to take place mid-September — Gazans in the city say no place in the Strip is safe and that they have nowhere to relocate. Many also cited fatigue from earlier displacements during previous rounds of fighting, as well as the difficulties and costs of moving, particularly for the elderly, infirm, or malnourished.

The IDF declined to comment on the accusations of using live fire as a method of forcing evacuation.