Israel Issues Full Evacuation Warning for Gaza City as Ground Operation Looms

Latest Developments

Full Evacuation Notice: The IDF on September 9 issued an evacuation warning to all residents of Gaza City ahead of a planned ground operation to eliminate Hamas from one of its last bastions of strength in Gaza. “Remaining in the area is extremely dangerous,” IDF Arabic Spokesperson Avichai Adraee said, adding, “the IDF is determined to eliminate Hamas and will operate in the area with great force.” The evacuation notice, which included airdropped leaflets in Gaza City in addition to digital announcements, contained a phone number for Palestinians to call to “report Hamas roadblocks” attempting to “prevent evacuation.”
Additional High-Rises Destroyed: The IDF confirmed another significant strike on September 8 on a Gaza City high-rise it said was being used by Hamas. The 12-story Al-Roya building was brought down after evacuation warnings were issued in the immediate vicinity of the building to minimize harm to uninvolved civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the same afternoon that Israel had destroyed some 50 high-rise buildings in Gaza City over the previous two days, calling the strikes “the beginning of the main intensive operation — the ground incursion of our forces.”
IDF Takes Casualties in Gaza City: Four IDF soldiers were killed early on September 8 when a Hamas cell attacked an Israeli position near Gaza City. Lt. Matan Abramovitz, 21, Staff Sgt. Uri Lamed, 20, Sgt. Amit Arye Regev, 19, and Sgt. Gadi Cotal, 20, all serving in the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd Battalion, fell in combat after three Hamas terrorists opened fire on their tank and subsequently hurled an explosive device into the armored vehicle’s open hatch.

FDD Expert Response

“Hamas has demonstrated a degree of success in conducting guerrilla operations against IDF personnel, relying on small-unit tactics to slow Israel’s advance. As the IDF pushes deeper into Gaza City, Hamas is likely to continue to employ these methods. One of the most significant concerns for Israeli forces is the possibility that Hamas will capture a soldier. It would be a significant achievement that Hamas would exploit in its propaganda messaging.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Since Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the plan to take control of Gaza City over a month ago, the IDF has been encouraging civilians to head south to newly established humanitarian zones in Khan Yunis, where they can receive increased supplies of shelter and aid. Israeli efforts to evacuate civilians during this war have been consistent and reflect Israel’s policy of minimizing civilian casualties.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network