Israel vs Hamas war: 1.1 million Palestinians told to vacate Gaza City in 24 hours, Hamas rejects order

Israeli military on Friday (Oct 13) asked more than one million Palestinian civilians living in Gaza City to relocate south in the next 24 hours, as it gathered tanks near the Gaza Strip before an expected ground invasion.

Israel has taken the vow to wipe out the Hamas militant group which carried out the deadly attacks on Tel Aviv on Saturday (Oct 7). However, if Israel carries out a ground invasion of Gaza, it can pose a serious risk to the numerous hostages who were kidnapped by the Hamas in the attack.

"Now is a time for war," stated Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday (Oct 12) as the Gaza Strip continued to be pounded by Israeli warplanes, days after Hamas carried out its deadliest attack in the history of the Jewish state.

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The Israeli military stated that in the coming days, they will "significantly" operate in Gaza City and the civilians will be able to return back to their homes only after another announcement is made.

UN warns of 'devastating humanitarian consequences'

The United Nations said it was impossible for such a displacement to take place "without devastating humanitarian consequences."

"The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric, in a statement.

Israel's ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan described as "shameful" the response of the UN to the early warning issued by Israel to the residents of Gaza.

A Hamas official stated that the warning related to Gaza City was "fake propaganda" and appealed to citizens not to fall for it.

“The occupation [a term Hamas uses for Israel] is attempting to spread and circulate false propaganda through various means, aiming to create confusion among citizens and undermine the stability of our internal front,” said Hamas, inthe statement.

Gaza under siege, delivery of basic necessities, electricity halted

After the sudden and brutal attack by Hamas, 2.3 million Gazans were placed by Israel under complete seige.

Earlier, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had said in a video message, "We are putting a complete siege on Gaza... No electricity, no food, no water, no gas -- it's all closed."

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Now in the latest steps, Israel stopped deliveries of electricity and basic necessities to 2.3 million people of Gaza and prevented entry of any supplies from Egypt.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that the fuel powering emergency generators are likely to run out in hours in the hospitals in Gaza. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) added that food and fresh water have been running dangerously low.

"The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent, and I implore the sides to reduce the suffering of civilians," stated ICRC regional director Fabrizio Carboni.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)

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