Israeli army publishes map of “evacuation zones” for civilians in Gaza

The Israeli army published a map on Friday, December 1, dividing the Gaza Strip into sectors called “evacuation zones.” Palestinian civilians will be ordered to leave these areas in the event of Israeli fighting and bombing, after a US request to create zones “safe”. On this map, published on a dedicated page in Arabic on its website, the army calls on residents to locate the “area concerning them and to act if they are ordered to evacuate”in case “their safety requires it”.

In several places in the Gaza Strip, where the mobile network is often slow, residents received urgent warning text messages on Friday morning. The Israeli army “will begin a devastating military attack in the area where you live, with the aim of eliminating the terrorist organization Hamas”it read, urging recipients to reach shelters and stay “away from any military activity”. About ten minutes later, the explosions rang out.

The Israeli army did not specify the deadlines granted to residents before launching military operations. During the first phase of the conflict, Israel ordered residents of the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate to the south, but according to the UN, more than a third of the deaths were recorded south of the limit.