The Israeli military has said it is “operating with great force on the outskirts of Gaza City” as it confirmed that the initial stages of its attack on the Palestinian territory’s largest city is under way.
Earlier, the military said it a statement that “the local tactical pause in military activity will not apply to the area of Gaza City, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone,” referring to daily pauses in certain areas aimed at facilitating aid distribution.
The military did not call for the population to evacuate immediately, but the army’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said on Wednesday that the city’s evacuation was “inevitable”.
The UN estimates that nearly a million people currently live in Gaza governorate, which includes Gaza City and its surroundings in the north of the territory.
Photos from the centre of the territory showed people fleeing south in vans and cars piled high with mattresses, chairs and bags.
