Israeli army calls on Gaza City residents to evacuate south ahead of expanded ground assault

By Betul Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli army on Saturday issued an evacuation warning for Gaza City residents before expanding its ground offensive in the city.

A military statement said the Israeli army designated the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza as “a humanitarian zone,” and al-Rashid Street as “a humanitarian corridor,” ahead of "the expansion of the ground offensive in Gaza City" under Operation Gideon’s Chariots II.

The army called on Gazans to “seize the opportunity to move to the humanitarian zone early,” which is a severely overcrowded area, with tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians living in dire humanitarian conditions.

The Israeli army has bombed Al-Mawasi multiple times over the course of the war and killed hundreds of civilians sheltering there, despite labeling it a "safe zone" previously.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army officially announced a new phase of the “Gideon’s Chariots 2” assault, with the declared goal of occupying the entire city.

On Aug. 8, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to gradually reoccupy the Gaza Strip, beginning with Gaza City. The plan involves displacing around 1 million Palestinians southward, surrounding the city, and occupying it after intense attacks.

The genocide in Gaza entered day 700 on Friday, with Israel having killed at least 64,300 Palestinians. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.