The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Thursday that close to 200,000 Palestinian civilians have evacuated Gaza City since the beginning of the week. Tens of thousands were said to have left on Wednesday alone, following the IDF’s full evacuation order issued Tuesday.
According to estimates, about one million Palestinians were living in Gaza City before Israel began preparing a major offensive against Hamas in the area. The military has instructed civilians to move southward in the Gaza Strip to avoid the expected escalation.
The evacuation marks one of the largest population displacements since the outbreak of the ongoing conflict, intensifying concerns over the humanitarian situation in southern Gaza as more civilians relocate.
