IDF says some 200,000 Palestinians have left Gaza City as it gears up for offensive

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza carry their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, September 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza carry their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, September 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Tens of thousands of Palestinians evacuated Gaza City over the past day, bringing the total number of those who left the area in recent weeks to around 200,000, according to IDF estimates.

Around one million Palestinians were estimated to be residing in Gaza City before the IDF began to prepare for a major offensive against Hamas there.

On Tuesday, the IDF ordered all of Gaza City to evacuate immediately ahead of the planned offensive.

Civilians have been instructed to head for an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip’s south.

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