Israel orders Gaza City residents to leave as military prepares to occupy city

"The order on Tuesday caused a scramble in the densely populated city and placed the fate of its 1 million residents in limbo, as they decided whether to be displaced once again or stay amid intensifying Israeli bombing. Humanitarians have repeatedly warned that the consequences of an offensive on Gaza City which is in the grips of famine would be dire for its residents and the strip as a whole."

"I say to the residents of Gaza, take this opportunity and listen to me carefully: you have been warned get out of there! the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said. Israel describes Gaza City as Hamas's last stronghold. The Israeli military has for weeks urged residents to go to al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, which it has designated as a humanitarian zone that contains increased services."

"Despite the campaign to displace the city's residents, only a small proportion about 50,000 people of its 1 million residents have left. Some residents said they felt they had little choice left but to flee. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Israel's planned offensive has garnered a wave of international criticism, with much of the international community urging an immediate ceasefire. On Sunday, the Danish foreign minister, Lars Lkke Rasmussen, called on Israel to change course on its Gaza City invasion,"

An evacuation order covers all of Gaza City ahead of a planned Israeli offensive to take and occupy the city. The order caused a scramble in the densely populated city and placed the fate of about 1 million residents in limbo as people decide whether to flee again or stay amid intensifying bombing. Gaza is experiencing famine; six more Palestinians died from hunger on Tuesday, bringing confirmed starvation deaths to 399. Israel is urging residents to move to al-Mawasi, designated as a humanitarian zone, but only about 50,000 people have left. Aid groups warn al-Mawasi cannot absorb renewed displacement and call for an immediate ceasefire; international officials have urged Israel to change course.

Read at www.theguardian.com