Roughly 200,000 people have fled Gaza City in recent weeks, according to Israeli military officials cited by The Times of Israel. The exodus follows intensified evacuation orders and warnings issued by the Israeli army as its campaign in northern Gaza escalates.
Before the war, Gaza City was home to an estimated one million Palestinians. On Tuesday, the Israeli military renewed its call for civilians to evacuate, urging them to move south toward what it described as a designated “humanitarian zone.”
Evacuation alerts were issued via voice recordings, leaflets dropped from aircraft, text messages, and phone calls.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the residents directly:
“To the people of Gaza City: Take advantage of this opportunity. Listen carefully—you have been warned. Leave now.”
Many Gazans say there is nowhere safe to go. Some have chosen to remain despite the warnings, citing the lack of shelter or guarantees of safety elsewhere.
Israel’s nearly two-year-long campaign in Gaza has killed over 64,000 people, according to health officials in the territory. The ongoing offensive has drawn global outrage, with the International Association of Genocide Scholars among those accusing Israel of committing genocide.
Israel denies the allegations and insists it is exercising its right to self-defense in response to attacks by Hamas and other armed groups.
Since the war began, the people of Gaza have faced repeated displacement, forced to flee multiple times with nowhere to call home.
