Jerusalem, Apr 25 (EFE) – The Israeli army on Friday issued evacuation orders for the northeastern area of Gaza City, in the north of the enclave, citing “terrorist activity” in the area, where local militias also reported clashes with Israeli forces.
“To all residents of the Gaza Strip in the areas of Turkman, Ajdeida, and northeast of Zeitoun: This is a final warning before the attack,” said the statement issued by Avichay Adraee, an Arabic-language spokesman for the armed forces.
“In light of the terrorist attacks carried out from the aforementioned area against our forces, the IDF will strike with great force any area used to carry out these terrorist attacks,” he added, saying that the population should travel west to Gaza City.
This afternoon, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to have fired mortar shells at Israeli vehicles on the al-Muntar hill, east of the city.
Further north, in Beit Hanoun, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, also claimed to have shot down four Israeli soldiers on Thursday.
Early Friday, the military announced the death of reservist Asaf Cafri, 26, in fighting in the north. However, it did not specify whether it was in the same incident.
Over 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed fighting in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, and the total exceeds 800, counting those who lost their lives during Hamas attacks on that day.
The evacuation orders come as the population of northern Gaza fears the advance of Israeli troops, who have turned 69% of the enclave into “no-go zones,” either through movement orders or by making all transit through certain areas dependent on their coordination.
On Friday, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) estimated that nearly half a million people have been displaced by Israeli operations since Israel broke the ceasefire on Mar. 18.
In total, more than 51,400 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli operation on the Gaza Strip since October 2023.EFE pbj/mcd
