Israeli army orders evacuation of battle-torn Gaza City
The Peninsula
Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories: Israel s army dropped thousands of leaflets over war torn Gaza City on Wednesday urging all residents to flee a h...
Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories: Israel's army dropped thousands of leaflets over war-torn Gaza City on Wednesday urging all residents to flee a heavy offensive through the main city of the besieged Palestinian territory.
The leaflets, addressed to "everyone in Gaza City", set out designated escape routes and warned that the urban area -- where UN humanitarian agency OCHA said up to 350,000 people were staying -- would "remain a dangerous combat zone".
The warning came as Israeli troops, backed by tanks and aircraft, have fought Hamas and militants in the heaviest combat the city has seen in months amid the war raging since October 7.
The United Nations said the latest evacuations "will only fuel mass suffering for Palestinian families, many of whom have been displaced many times".
"The civilians must be protected," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.