Israel's military has ordered all residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south within the next 24 hours as it prepares for a ground invasion in the wake of Hamas' catastrophic attacks.
After a week of retaliatory air attacks and a complete Israeli siege, the United Nations said that evacuating the Palestinian enclave was impossible due to a lack of electricity, food, and water. Fearing an extended battle, top United States officials flew to Israel and beyond for emergency talks.
After the catastrophic weekend assaults by Hamas within Israel, which killed more than 1,300 people, largely civilians, pro-Palestinian rallies were planned all over the globe. In certain locations, Jewish communities worried they may be targeted.
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Attacks to Gaza City
According to Reuters, the Israeli military has promised significant operations in the days ahead after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's declaration that "now is a time for war."
The military has accused Hamas of hiding in and beneath civilian structures and has urged residents of Gaza City to flee to the south for their own protection and the safety of their families.
There were a few civilians departing on Friday morning, October 13, while a Hamas spokesman told people not to believe the fake propaganda being spread.
The Palestinian ambassador in Japan said that Israel is trying to destroy all of Gaza, where over 1,500 Palestinians have been murdered in retaliation assaults.
Many of the current residents of Gaza stem from those who were forced to leave their homes in Israel during its founding in 1948. According to Talal Okal, an analyst in Gaza, "Today, Israel is repeating this before the eyes of the world."
Following the horrendous assault on its residents, Israel claims it has no choice but to destroy the extremist organization and warns others to get out of the path. As per the report, 750 military targets were hit in a single night, including tunnels, military complexes, top operators' homes, and weapons storage depots belonging to Hamas.
Hamas' military arm said that 13 of the hundreds of Israeli prisoners they had recently kidnapped had been killed in the most recent round of airstrikes, prompting a retaliatory barrage of 150 rockets.
Hamas has threatened to execute its captives if there is a ground assault on the small and densely populated Gaza Strip, which is home to 2.3 million people.
At the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, dozens of civilians gathered hours after the Israeli evacuation notice and vowed not to leave.
Air attacks targeted the southern and central sectors of the enclave overnight, and the center parts were again attacked on Friday morning.
More than 400,000 Palestinians, including 23 aid workers, have reportedly evacuated their homes in Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). It said that mass evacuation is still happening.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has reportedly relocated its headquarters and foreign workers to the southern part of Gaza and has pleaded with Israel to spare its shelters.
