News Center – Gaza has been under intense military escalation since October 2023, with Israeli operations causing widespread destruction, heavy civilian casualties, and a growing humanitarian crisis that has prompted mass displacement.

 

On Saturday, September 6, Israeli forces instructed residents of northern Gaza City to relocate to the so-called humanitarian zone in Khan Younis in the south. The military said the area would be equipped with field hospitals, water pipelines, desalination facilities, and essential food supplies.

 

The announcement comes amid a continued military buildup, with Israeli forces repeatedly urging civilians to evacuate Gaza City ahead of what appears to be a large-scale ground offensive aimed at gaining full control of the city. The military emphasized that the evacuation is “unavoidable,” promising humanitarian assistance to families moving south, while preparing to intensify operations in the city.

 

The United Nations has estimated Gaza City’s population at around one million people, warning of a “humanitarian catastrophe” if a full-scale assault is launched. Last week, the World Food Programme also cautioned that Gaza is “on the brink of collapse.”

 

The evacuation order coincides with ongoing airstrikes. This morning, 13 Palestinians were killed—including civilians waiting for humanitarian aid—and others were injured in Israeli raids targeting multiple areas, including near the Al-Tina aid center southwest of Khan Younis.

 

In response, the Palestinian government in Gaza condemned repeated Israeli strikes on residential towers, most recently the Mushtaha tower in western Gaza City, calling them war crimes and acts of forced displacement affecting hundreds of thousands of civilians.

 

A government spokesperson stated that attacks on residential buildings, carried out without any clear military objectives, constitute a systematic policy of forced displacement and deliberate targeting of civilians. He emphasized that under international law, Israeli forces are required to prove the presence of specific military targets and take all possible precautions to minimize civilian harm—measures he said have not been implemented.