Israel Enables Gaza Civilian Evacuations While Battling Hamas

Latest Developments

Israel secured an evacuation route for Palestinian civilians from northern Gaza’s Shati neighborhood, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on November 11. During a battle in the area against Hamas terrorists, members of Israel’s Givati infantry brigade saw civilians inside a building. “The IDF troops subsequently secured a corridor so the Gazans could safely evacuate,” The Jerusalem Post reported. The densely populated neighborhood of Shati was established as a refugee camp in the 1950s. Hamas continues to use civilians as human shields throughout northern Gaza and fire at troops from civilian areas.

Expert Analysis

“The IDF is facilitating two evacuation corridors, which has enabled Gazans to travel to safer territory and provided a humanitarian pause in the fighting. This complicated procedure demonstrates the IDF’s commitment to preventing civilian casualties. As the IDF has said many times, Israel’s war is against Hamas, not the people of Gaza.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“Hamas cynically uses the civilian areas of Gaza to create a network of terror tunnels, weapon factories, rocket launch sites, and other terrorist threats. Areas such as Shati are used by Hamas to slow the IDF advance and make it more difficult to remove Hamas from Gaza in the wake of the Hamas massacre of Israelis on October 7.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“In spite of Hamas’s daily propaganda aimed at portraying Israeli defeat, it has become increasingly clear that the organization is losing its grip on the northern Gaza Strip. Nevertheless, as the Israeli military advances south, it runs the risk of getting bogged down in intense urban warfare.” — Joe Truzman, Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

IDF Enables Evacuation of Hospitals

Hamas terrorists are exploiting medical facilities in Gaza in their war on Israel. “Following the repeated calls for the residents of Gaza City to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip for their safety, due to the military activity in the area, the IDF enabled the evacuation of the Rantisi and Nasser hospitals,” the IDF said on November 11. Israel also opened and secured an evacuation route so that people could leave on foot and in ambulances from three hospitals. Terrorists fired on Israeli troops securing the route.

Related Analysis

“Hamas Drone Factory in Gaza Uncovered in Civilian Building,” FDD Flash Brief

“War Goal Is Destruction of Hamas, Not Gaza Occupation Says Israel,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Terror Tunnel Next to UNRWA School in Gaza Destroyed,” FDD Flash Brief