Israel’s military has warned all civilians in Gaza City, more than 1 million people, to relocate south within 24 hours ahead of an expected ground invasion.
The Israeli military said it would operate “significantly” in Gaza City in the coming days and civilians would only be able to return when another announcement was made.
“Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields,” the military said in a statement.
“Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians.”
A Hamas official said the Gaza relocation warning was “fake propaganda” and urged citizens not to fall for it.
The United Nations said it considered it impossible for such a movement of people to take place “without devastating humanitarian consequences.”
Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas militant group which led the attacks on Saturday.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Friday that it struck 750 military targets in northern Gaza overnight, including what it said were Hamas tunnels, military compounds, residences of senior operatives and weapons storage warehouses.
However, a ground invasion of Gaza poses serious risk with Hamas holding scores of hostages kidnapped in the assault.
The Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, is under siege by Israel, which has pounded Hamas targets in the enclave and killed more than 1,500 Palestinians in retaliatory attacks since the weekend incursions.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said fuel powering emergency generators at hospitals in Gaza could run out within hours and the United Nations World Food Programme warned food and fresh water were running dangerously low.
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency said it had relocated its central operations centre and international staff to Gaza’s south.
