Global InformationGaza Strip evacuations information
| Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip | |
 Israeli division of the Gaza Strip into 620 zones[1] | |
| Date | 13 October 2023 – present (6 months, 2 weeks and 5 days) |
|---|---|
| Location | Gaza Strip |
| Type | Population transfer |
| Organized by |  Israel |
| Deaths | 70+ (Israeli attacks on evacuating Palestinians)[2] |
| Displaced | 800,000–1,000,000 fled south[3] |
During the Israel–Hamas war, the Israeli military ordered most residents of Gaza to evacuate their homes, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and contributing to a broader humanitarian crisis in the territory.[4][5][6] It is the largest displacement of Palestinians in 75 years.[7] Palestinians have described the evacuation as the "second Nakba."[8]
The first evacuation order was given on October 13, 2023, one week after Hamas led an attack on Israel from Gaza. Israel officials told the 1.1 million Gazans who lived north of the Wadi Gaza, including Gaza City, to evacuate within 24 hours.[9] Paula Gaviria Betancur, UN special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, condemned the forcible evacuation order as a crime against humanity and a violation of international humanitarian law.[10][11][12][13][14]
Israel's ground invasion of Gaza began on 27 October. By November 4, some 800,000 to 1 million people had moved to the southern Gaza Strip, while 350,000 to 400,000 remained in the north.[3] Multiple reports also indicated Israel targeted Palestinians during the evacuation and attacked and bombarded them in the southern Gaza Strip.[2][15][16][17][18] Evacuees described the evacuation corridors as unsafe, and full of terror from Israeli soldiers and dead bodies along the road.[19][20][21]
On 1 December, Israel began issuing evacuation orders across the entire Gaza Strip, dividing the territory into 620 zones.[22] UN officials said Gazans were being pushed into an area one-third the size of the total territory.[23] Some 80 percent of the territory's population was at the time in the southern Gaza Strip.[24] Hamas instructed civilians not to evacuate, and there are multiple reports indicating that Hamas physically hindered Gazans from fleeing to the south.[25][26][27][28][29]
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel. "IDF says new map splitting Gaza into zones will help residents avoid combat areas". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Ambrose, Tom; Fulton, Adam; Ambrose (now), Tom; Fulton (earlier), Adam (2023-11-04). "Israel-Hamas war live: Red Crescent warns of 'war crime' after ambulances hit in Gaza". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2023-11-04. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
- ^ "Israeli military warns Gazans to relocate south for safety". The Jerusalem Post. October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
The call to evacuate came ahead of an anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war with Hamas.
- ^ Diaz, Jacyln. "A communications blackout in Gaza is slowing aid as officials press for hostage deal". NPR. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Bouri, Christina; Roy, Diana (19 November 2023). "Analysis: How bad is the humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war?". PBS. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ Davis, Hanna. " "'We will never forget': Reliving the pain of the Nakba amid Israel's war". Al Jazeera. " Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Mhawesh, Mohammed (14 October 2023). "'A second Nakba': Echoes of 1948, as Israel orders Palestinians to leave". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ Bhandari, Aditi; Dutta, Prasanta Kumar; Zafra, Mariano (2023-10-13). "Israeli military orders Gazans to leave northern half of territory". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
- ^ "Israel must rescind evacuation order for northern Gaza and comply with international law: UN expert". Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ Debre, Isabel; Lederer, Edith M.; Shurafa, Wafaa (13 October 2023). "Israel's military orders civilians to evacuate Gaza City, ahead of a feared ground offensive". AP News. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Israel: 1.1 Million in Gaza Should Evacuate Within 24 Hours". Voice of America News. October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ Falk, Pamela; Tanyos, Paris (13 October 2023). "Israeli military informs U.N. that all 1.1 million northern Gaza residents should evacuate south within 24 hours". CBS News. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Deng, Chao; Lubold, Gordon; AbdulKarim, Fatima (2023-10-14). "Gaza Residents Brace for Israeli Offensive After Evacuation Demand". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:ftwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Why is Israel attackingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Photos: Palestinians fleeing to Khan Younis still face Israeli air attacks". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ^ Stepansky, Joseph. "Palestinians in Gaza face threat of mass displacement, rights groups warn". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ^ Ismail, Asmina (7 November 2023). "US-Palestinian evacuees recount 'horror movie' of leaving Gaza". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "Israel calls it a humanitarian corridor, but for fleeing Palestinians, it's forced displacement". NBC News. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Shurafa, Wafaa (7 November 2023). "Civilians escaping northern Gaza describe terrifying trek past Israeli tanks". PBS. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "The Israel-Hamas war in maps: latest updates". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Besheer, Margaret (4 December 2023). "The%20U.N.%20continues%20to%20appeal,Dujarric%20said%20in%20a%20statement. "UN Chief Alarmed at Resumption, Spread of Gaza Fighting". VOA. "The%20U.N.%20continues%20to%20appeal,Dujarric%20said%20in%20a%20statement. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ Zilber, Zeri (December 2023). "Israel plans for 'long war' and aims to kill top three Hamas leaders". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "Hamas Tells Civilians Not to Evacuate to the South". WSJ. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ "Many Gaza residents remain trapped in the north after short evacuation window". npr. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ Aitken, Peter (2023-10-27). "Hamas preventing Gaza residents from fleeing to safety, Palestinian activist says". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-11. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
- ^ "IDF: Gaza resident says Hamas preventing evacuations; thousands return north". Archived from the original on 2023-11-03. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
- ^ "Gaza's desperate civilians flee or huddle in hopes of safety, as warnings of Israeli offensive mount". AP News. 2023-10-14. Archived from the original on 2023-10-14. Retrieved 2023-11-12.