Israeli army orders immediate evacuation of Palestinians in Gaza City ahead of attacks

The Israeli army issued an immediate evacuation order for civilians in Gaza City on Wednesday amid a deadly onslaught on the Palestinian enclave.

Military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the Palestinians in the Gaza City neighborhoods of Zeitoun, Tel al-Hawa, and Sheikh Ijlin must leave their areas and head to “known shelters” south of the Wadi Gaza stream before carrying out attacks in the area.

He alleged that the evacuation order was issued following rocket fire from the area.

The army claimed early Wednesday that two rockets were fired from central Gaza, one of which was intercepted by air defenses and the second impacted outside the Zimrat settlement near Gaza.

No injuries were reported.

The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing 830 people, injuring nearly 1,800 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Nearly 50,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 113,700 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.