Israel tells Gazans Hamas is lying about humanitarian zone having no room left

As Hamas allegedly seeks to prevent Palestinians from evacuating Gaza City, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories says there are available spaces in the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip’s south to set up tents for those being displaced.

“In recent days, the Hamas terrorist organization has been running a false campaign aimed at preventing you, the residents of Gaza, from moving from the northern Gaza Strip to the south for your safety and protection,” says COGAT chief Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian on his Arabic-language Facebook page.

“To disperse the cloud of lies, it is important to set the record straight. Contrary to Hamas’s claims, there are available spaces in the humanitarian area for setting up tents. Do not fall for Hamas’s lies, as it wants to use you as a human shield for its murderous goals,” Alian says.

“Hamas endangers you and harms your families. You must know the truth and follow the evacuation instructions. These are life-saving instructions,” he adds.

COGAT publishes graphics showing locations in the humanitarian zone where there are open areas for setting up tents.

The IDF in the past two days has called on civilians in all of Gaza City to evacuate, including by dropping leaflets and making phone calls to Gazans in the area.

Around 150,000 of the estimated one million Palestinians in Gaza City have so far evacuated, according to updated army estimates from this morning.