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TPS-IL on 9 September, 2025
Israel Issues Unprecedented Evacuation Order for Gaza City Ahead of Military Offensive
Jerusalem, 9 September, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- The Israeli military issued an unprecedented evacuation order for all residents of Gaza City on Tuesday, warning of imminent large-scale military operations against Hamas in the area. The order, posted by the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Col. Avichay Adraee, directed civilians to immediately move toward the humanitarian zone in Muwasi, in southern Gaza.
“The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas and will operate in the Gaza City area with great force, just as it has throughout the Strip,” Adraee wrote on X, emphasizing the urgency of the evacuation. He added that “remaining in the area is extremely dangerous” and provided a phone number for reporting Hamas roadblocks or attempts to prevent residents from leaving.
The move comes after days of heavy Israeli airstrikes targeting the Hamas-run enclave. On Monday night, the IDF struck a high-rise building in Gaza City, describing it as a site “used by Hamas and housing military infrastructure used to promote and carry out terror plans against IDF forces in the area.” The army said such strikes would continue later this week as part of a broader campaign to weaken Hamas’ operational capabilities in the city.
According to the IDF, Hamas has installed intelligence-gathering equipment, planted explosive devices, and set up observation posts in various high-rises.
Military assessments suggest tens of thousands of residents have already left Gaza City in recent days, with departures increasing following the recent strikes. The IDF estimates that roughly one million people remain in the city, including between eight and ten Israeli hostages. Four IDF brigades are currently operating around the city, advancing along its outer neighborhoods in preparation for a planned ground offensive on Hamas’ last stronghold.
By the end of the month, the IDF expects to launch a large-scale ground operation in Gaza City. “Palestinian civilians in all areas of Gaza City must evacuate immediately ahead of a major ground offensive against Hamas in the area,” the military said.
This is the first time the IDF has ordered a citywide evacuation of Gaza’s largest urban center. Previous warnings targeted only specific buildings or immediate surroundings. Residents are instructed to travel south via the coastal road to reach the designated humanitarian zone in Muwasi.
“The IDF is determined to defeat Hamas,” Adraee reiterated.
Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 48 remaining hostages, about 20 are believed to be alive.
