Israel Urges Residents of Northern Gaza to Evacuate to ‘Humanitarian Area’ in South

Israel has been calling on civilians to move south in recent days as it ramps up its airstrikes on the northern and central Gaza Strip.

Palestinian emergency services and local citizens search for victims in buildings destroyed during Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip, in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Oct. 19, 2023. Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

Israeli forces on Oct. 18 urged residents in northern Gaza to evacuate to the town of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, claiming the latter area is now a “humanitarian area.”

In an evacuation advisory, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it “continues to call on the residents of the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City to evacuate towards the area of Al-Mawasi, south of Wadi Gaza” where international humanitarian aid “will be provided as needed.”