“There is not much time left…an urgent appeal, not prevention.”
Amid speculation that a large-scale ground war is imminent as Israel expands its ground operations in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military urgently appealed to residents in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south.
According to the British daily Guardian on the 28th (local time), Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari announced an urgent video message to Gaza residents through social media X (formerly Twitter).
Spokesperson Hagari said, “Once the intense hostilities end, we will be able to return to northern Gaza,” adding, “The window for action is closing, so please move south for your own safety.”
He emphasized, “This is not just a preventive measure, but an urgent appeal.”
It is reported that a large number of Hamas bases are located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, including the largest city, Gaza City.
Prior to the start of the ground war, the IDF has repeatedly warned residents of the northern Gaza Strip to flee to the south.
However, residents are refusing to flee due to concerns that they may not be able to return even after the war ends and concerns that they cannot avoid Israeli military attacks in the south.
The majority of the Gaza Strip’s population is descendants of refugees who were driven out from their hometowns, now Israeli territory, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Because of this, Palestinian residents have a collective ‘displacement trauma’ to the point where they call this incident a ‘disaster’ (Nakba).
Earlier, Spokesperson Hagari announced in a press briefing that day, “We entered the northern part of the Gaza Strip overnight and conducted an expanded ground operation involving infantry, armored, engineer units, and artillery.”
It is understood that troops are currently remaining in the Gaza Strip and continuing the fight.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also issued a video statement on the same day, saying, “We attacked above and underground, and we attacked (Hamas) terrorist agents of all ranks everywhere,” adding, “The operation (in the Gaza Strip) will continue until there is a new order.” “It will continue,” he said.
CNN reported that the Israeli forward troops stationed on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip were mostly empty that day, which was different from the previous two nights when they returned to their units after ground operations in the Gaza Strip.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.