Israel Calls for Evacuations Amid Escalating Offensive in Gaza

Mon Jun 01 2026 09:45:01 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the Israeli military intensifies its operations in Gaza, warning residents of impending airstrikes on high-rise buildings and urging evacuation to southern regions, which many deem unsafe.

The Israeli army has issued evacuation orders for parts of Gaza City, warning that airstrikes on high-rise buildings are imminent. The military has redrawn 'humanitarian zones' for Palestinians, leading to concerns from aid groups about worsening conditions. Many residents, already displaced and exhausted, struggle to respond amid heightened violence and dwindling resources. Protests are erupting in Israel, calling for the safe return of hostages and an end to the ongoing conflict.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli army issued evacuation orders and targeted high-rise buildings in Gaza City on Saturday, urging Palestinians to flee south ahead of an escalating offensive to seize the city of nearly 1 million.

Aid groups warn that a large-scale evacuation would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza City, which the world’s leading hunger watchdog announced last month was officially suffering from famine due to Israeli restrictions on food aid.

Most Palestinian families have been repeatedly displaced in the nearly two-year-long war and assert they have nowhere left to go. The Israeli military has previously bombed tent encampments designated as humanitarian zones.

“There is no safe tent, no safe house, no safe place, no safety at all,” lamented Nadia Marouf, who fled Israel’s offensive in the north with her children and resettled in Gaza City, only to see her tent destroyed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike that leveled a 15-story building and surrounding encampment.

“Where do I go? We went to the south, there is no space in the south, where can we go?” she pleaded.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee called on Palestinians to flee to southern Gaza, announcing on social media that the army had redrawn the borders of a humanitarian zone to encompass the overcrowded encampment of Muwasi and parts of the southern city of Khan Younis.

Aid groups have raised alarms about woefully inadequate shelter, sanitation, water, and food in Muwasi, noting that months of Israeli bombardment have decimated civilian infrastructure in Khan Younis.

“I can’t walk, I am in pain, and I do not know what to do or where to go,” said Ala Alfarani, whose tent was crushed beneath a pile of rubble in Israel’s strike on a high-rise in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of south Gaza City.

The Israeli military later warned residents of two high-rises in Gaza City, accusing Hamas of being active inside or near the buildings. Hammering warnings that civilians clear out, Israel has ramped up its campaign against Hamas as it seeks to control Gaza's largest city.

Protests erupted across Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, demanding the government secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. Many demonstrators fear for their safety and the condition of their loved ones still unaccounted for amidst ongoing violence.

The conflict's toll is severe, with over 64,000 Palestinians reportedly killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. As displaced families seek refuge in makeshift camps, Israel's military campaign continues unabated.