Middle East Crisis: IDF nears Gaza city encirclement; residents given ‘last chance’ to flee

Israel defence minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said the IDF is nearing the encirclement of Gaza City, saying residents have a “last opportunity” to flee south through Israeli checkpoints while warning that those who remain would be considered “terrorists and supporters of terror.” Katz noted that Hamas is preparing a response to a US ceasefire proposal, which Israel has accepted.In a press release, Katz stated that the IDF is seizing the western portion of the Netzarim Corridor—located south of Gaza City up to the coast—effectively “bisecting Gaza between its north and south.” He added, “This will tighten the encirclement around Gaza City and everyone leaving it to the south will be forced to pass through IDF checkpoints. This is the last opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to do so to move south and leave Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City, in the face of IDF activity that continues with full force.” Katz further warned, “People remaining in Gaza City will be terrorists and supporters of terror. The IDF is preparing for all possibilities and is determined to continue its operations until the return of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas, en route to ending the war.” The IDF later announced it had achieved “operational control” over the western portion of the Netzarim Corridor, preventing Palestinians from returning to Gaza City. A military assessment indicated that the vast majority of the city’s approximately 1 million residents have fled. Over the past day, the 99th Division initiated a ground operation aimed at “strengthening and maintaining operational control over the Netzarim Corridor,” according to the military. “The troops operated to disrupt the operational capabilities of the Hamas terror organisation in the area and to expand operational control in the sector.” Southbound movement from Gaza City remains permitted via the Rashid coastal road, although Israel announced earlier on Wednesday that it would seal off the northbound direction. Witnesses reported that Israeli tanks had begun advancing toward the coastal road from the east but had not yet arrived. In recent weeks, few people have moved from the south to the north amid the IDF’s intensifying siege on Gaza City. The decision to close routes will pressure those remaining in Gaza City and prevent hundreds of thousands of residents who have fled south from returning to their homes, likely deepening fears of permanent displacement within the Strip. On Monday, US President Donald Trump unveiled a ceasefire-hostage deal proposal during a joint press conference at the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accepted the offer. The proposal includes the release of the remaining 48 hostages within 72 hours in exchange for the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 1,700 Gazans detained since the Hamas onslaught of October 7-2023—including all women and children—and the return of 15 deceased Gazan bodies for every Israeli hostage body. The deal also calls for a three-phase Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament and demilitarisation of Hamas, the provision of unrestricted humanitarian aid to the Strip, and the establishment of an international transitional government without Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.