Israel advises Gaza City residents to evacuate during intense combat
Israel issued a strong recommendation for all Palestinian civilians to evacuate Gaza City on July 10 as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gets ready to intensify its attacks on Hamas fighters in the region.
Hamas, a terrorist group, has regrouped in the city after being driven out by Israel at the beginning of the conflict.
IDF distributed leaflets over Gaza City, providing maps with “safe routes” marked for evacuation.
Civilians were advised to travel south along two designated routes to the central Gaza Strip.
Hamas, in control of the Gaza Strip, reported that Israel’s recent offensive resulted in the deaths of over 60 Palestinians throughout the enclave on July 9.
Casualty figures released by Hamas and medical authorities under its jurisdiction do not differentiate between civilians and Hamas militants.
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According to Palestinian medical officials, an Israeli airstrike targeted a tent camp of displaced families near the town of Abassan east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than two dozen people.
The Israeli military stated that it is investigating reports of civilian casualties. IDF mentioned that the incident occurred when it targeted a Hamas fighter involved in the October 7 raid into Israel, which initiated the conflict. During the raid, Hamas militants, along with Gaza civilians, killed 1,200 Israelis and captured over 250 others.
Additional strikes were reported in the central town of Deir Al-Balah and the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, resulting in the deaths of approximately 20 individuals.
On July 9, a Hezbollah attack killed an Israeli couple in the Golan Heights, leaving their three teenage children orphaned. The Lebanese terrorist group claimed the attack was in retaliation for the drone strike on a senior Hezbollah member in Syrian territory on the same day.
Yasser Nemr Qranbish, previously a bodyguard for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, was believed to be leading a Hezbollah unit responsible for importing weapons from Syria, according to the Alma Center, an Israeli strategic consulting group. The IDF has not officially claimed responsibility for the strike that resulted in Mr. Qranbish’s death.
In a potentially related development, the IDF targeted Syrian army positions with tanks and artillery, citing violations of the 1974 demilitarization agreement in the region. “The IDF holds the Syrian military accountable for all activities within its territory and will not tolerate any attempts to breach Israeli sovereignty,” stated the IDF.
The IDF announced the conclusion of its two-week offensive in the Shejaiya area of Gaza City. During the operation, soldiers destroyed two more underground tunnels, totaling eight demolished in total.
Mediators from Egypt and Qatar continued efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement. A breakthrough was achieved last week, but both Israel and Hamas seemed to backtrack in recent days.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk on July 9. “The two discussed the importance of seizing the opportunity to secure an agreement for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza,” stated the defense ministry on July 10. “They addressed the challenges in achieving such an agreement and possible solutions to overcome them.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
