‘For your safety…’: Israel orders full evacuation of Gaza City ahead of major ground offensive

Israel has issued a directive for the complete evacuation of Gaza City, which is home to approximately one million Palestinians, in preparation for a planned military takeover of the area.

“To all residents of Gaza City and all its neighborhoods, from the Old City and Tuffah in the east to the sea in the west. The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, just as it did throughout the Strip,” Avichay Adraee, the military’s Arabic spokesperson said on Tuesday.

#عاجل رسالة عاجلة إلى سكان مدينة غزة من البلدة القديمة والتفاح شرقًا وحتى البحر غربًا: من أجل سلامتكم انتقلوا فورًا نحو المواصي عبر شارع الرشيد. بقاؤكم في المدينة يعتبر في غاية الخطورة. جيش الدفاع سيتحرك بقوة شديدة في المنطقة pic.twitter.com/WQdaY28VMT

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) September 9, 2025

“For your safety, evacuate immediately via the Rashid axis toward the humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi,” he added.

Leaflets carrying the message, which included a map directing residents across northern Gaza to travel westward to the coast before going south, were also dropped across the north, reported CNN.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Palestinians to leave, saying, “This is only the beginning of the intensified ground maneuver in Gaza City.”

The warning came as Israeli forces ramped up airstrikes, targeting high-rise buildings in the densely populated area.

The military claims it now controls 40% of Gaza City and is pressing ahead with plans to fully occupy the enclave’s largest urban center to defeat Hamas.

Despite the warnings, only about 70,000 people — less than 10% of the city’s population —have evacuated, CNN quoted a senior Israeli official as saying.

The same official noted that just 3,000 tents have entered Gaza so far, with plans to deliver 100,000 tents over the next three weeks. “We want to flood Gaza with tents,” the official added.

Meanwhile, The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that any further escalation of military operations in Gaza City would spell a “catastrophe” for civilians, reported New York Times.

Despite the growing risks, the UN and its humanitarian partners say they will continue delivering aid to those who remain in the city.

With inputs from agencies