The Israeli military has published new evacuation warnings for parts of central Gaza, in one of the few areas the military has rarely operated with ground troops.
The evacuation cuts access between the city of Deir Al Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow enclave.
The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that expanding military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas to negotiate, though negotiations have been stalled for months.
The area of Gaza under the evacuation order is also where many international organisations attempting to distribute aid are located.
Military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned the military will attack ‘with intensity’. He called for residents, including those sheltering in tents, to head to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza’s southern shore that the Israeli military has designated a humanitarian zone.
Gaza’s population of more than two million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
After Israel’s military dropped leaflets urging people to evacuate from neighbourhoods in Deir Al Balah, residents said Israeli planes struck three houses in the area.
Dozens of families began leaving their homes, carrying some of their belongings. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans have been sheltering in the Deir Al Balah area.
Israeli sources have said the reason the army has so far stayed out is because they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages there. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to still be alive. Hostage families demanded an explanation from the army.
“Can anyone (promise) to us that this decision will not come at the cost of losing our loved ones?” the families said in a statement.
Israel’s military offensive that followed has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The ministry is part of the Hamas government but the UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organisation that represents many of the families of hostages, condemned the evacuation announcement and demanded that Netanyahu and the Israeli military explain what they hope to accomplish in the area of central Gaza, accusing Israel of operating without a clear war plan.
It said: “Enough. The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages.”
On Saturday night, tens of thousands of protesters once again marched in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war.
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