‘STAND FIRM’

Hamas Tells Gaza Residents to Stay Put Despite Israel’s Evacuation Warning

The IDF has called on all residents of Gaza City to head south for their own “personal safety.”

Hamas is instructing Gaza residents to ignore a call from Israel on Friday to move south for their “own safety and protection.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) publicly called for “all civilians of Gaza City” in the north of the Gaza Strip to evacuate the area for “their own safety,” saying Hamas “terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians.” In response, the Hamas Authority for Refugee Affairs told locals to disregard the alarming information and “remain steadfast in your homes” and “stand firm in the face of this disgusting psychological war waged by the occupation.” The United Nations says the evacuation order would affect 1.1 million people and could lead to “devastating humanitarian consequences.”