The Israeli army announces the expansion of the military operation in Gaza and orders residents to evacuate immediately

The Israeli army ordered Palestinians in Gaza City, north of the Strip, to evacuate quickly without inspection on Saturday morning, while announcing the expansion of the ground maneuver in the city as part of Operation “Gideon 2,” which aims to completely occupy it.

“The IDF is carrying out an operation to defeat Hamas inside Gaza City,” the Israeli Army said in a statement posted on X.

The statement continued, “As of this moment, and with the aim of facilitating those leaving the city, we are declaring the al Mawasi area (in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip) a humanitarian zone, where work will be carried out to provide better humanitarian services”.

The Israeli army claimed that it had designated Rashid Street as a humanitarian route, and ordered Palestinians to leave through it quickly and in vehicles without inspection.

The statement also claimed to be carrying out renovations at the European Hospital east of Khan Yunis, allegedly to provide better medical services to residents, and ordered Palestinians in Gaza City to move to the humanitarian zone early.

In another statement, the Israeli army announced the expansion of the “ground maneuver” in Gaza City as part of Operation “Gideon 2,” reiterating the designation of the Khan Yunis area as a “humanitarian zone”.

The Israeli army claimed that the humanitarian zone includes vital humanitarian infrastructure such as field hospitals, water lines, and desalination facilities, in addition to the ongoing provision of food, tents, medicine, and medical supplies that will be brought in through coordination between the Israeli government’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the international community.

During the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza for nearly two years, the Israeli army previously declared what it called “humanitarian zones” in parts of the Strip, ordering Palestinians to head to them, claiming they were “safe”.

However, it continues to bombard these areas, causing numerous civilian casualties, both dead and wounded.

Meanwhile, field testimonies and UN reports confirm that these humanitarian areas, including the Khan Yunis arid zone, practically lack the basic necessities of life.

There are no functioning field hospitals or service facilities commensurate with the number of Palestinians there.

Potable water and food are almost non-existent in these areas.

Displaced people in the southern and central Gaza Strip are relying on limited and irregular aid provided by relief organizations, given continued Israeli restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid.

After more than three weeks of intense bombardment, the Israeli military officially announced last Wednesday the launch of Operation Gideon 2, a campaign to completely occupy Gaza City.

This operation sparked criticism and protests in Israel, fearing for the lives of prisoners and soldiers.

The Israeli army periodically issues warnings to Palestinians to evacuate various areas of the Gaza Strip, claiming that it has detected rocket fire towards adjacent settlements.