The Israeli military has already conducted operations in neighborhoods surrounding the city, including Zeitoun, and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the IDF will expand operations in Gaza in the coming days. “We are committed to acting responsibly,” Zamir said during a visit to Tulkarm.
A large-scale ground offensive is not expected before next month and will depend on Israel’s efforts to evacuate up to one million residents southward. The government is coordinating with the United Nations, although officials acknowledge the logistical challenges of such a large evacuation.
On Thursday, dozens of Palestinians staged a protest against Israel’s plan, waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs reading “Stop the genocide” and “Gaza is dying.” One protester called on the international community to “stop the war, not the uprooting,” and urged U.S. President Donald Trump to act, saying, “If you care about the Nobel Peace Prize, you must stop all wars, starting with Gaza, where thousands of lives have already been lost.”
Ahmad al-Ajla, a 38-year-old lawyer from Zeitoun, told CNN that residents ordered to evacuate have nowhere to go. “All the displacement tents are already being built on top of each other,” he said. Ismail Zaida, a resident of Sheikh Radwan, described the situation as “the beginning of a new war.”
Zakaria Bakr, a resident of the Shati refugee camp, predicted the evacuations would occur under fire. “They will carry out massacres, bomb homes over the owners’ heads, and send terror messages to force people out of the city. At the same time, they will lay siege to the city and prevent food from entering,” he said.
