Gaza City: The Israeli military has called on civilians in Gaza City to leave their homes and move southward to what it has described as a specially designated “humanitarian zone” in the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis. The order comes as Israeli ground and air operations continue to expand in Gaza’s largest urban center, with the army declaring that it now controls nearly half of the city and more than 75 percent of the entire Strip.
The humanitarian zone, according to the Israeli military, has been equipped with field hospitals, desalination units, water pipelines, and food supplies to provide for displaced residents. Israel insists the relocation is aimed at protecting civilians from the intensifying military campaign against Hamas, which it continues to describe as the “main stronghold” of the militant group. Yet for many Palestinians, this latest evacuation order adds another layer of trauma, forcing thousands who have already been displaced multiple times since the start of the war to once again abandon what little stability they have managed to maintain.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. Health authorities in the enclave estimate that more than 64,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since the war erupted, while countless others remain missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings. Families who survive the violence face crippling shortages of food, medicine, and shelter. For many, moving south is simply not an option due to a lack of transport, poor health, or the dangers of traveling across active combat zones.
Regional and international responses to the evacuation call have been sharply critical. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty rejected the notion that these movements could be described as voluntary, calling such claims “nonsense.” He warned that the normalization of mass displacement is “immoral, illegal, and indefensible,” arguing that the forced movement of Palestinians risks deepening instability across the region. Cairo’s strong stance reflects long-standing fears that large-scale expulsions could spill over into Egypt, reshaping the fragile demographic and political balance of the region.
Humanitarian organizations have also sounded the alarm. The International Committee of the Red Cross recently stressed that any attempt to fully evacuate Gaza City is unsafe and unfeasible, pointing to the severe lack of food, water, shelter, and medical services in areas where civilians are being directed. Aid agencies warn that even so-called safe zones may not provide meaningful protection, given the scale of destruction and the ongoing risk of airstrikes.
As the Israeli campaign presses forward, the crisis shows little sign of abating. For many in Gaza, the promise of humanitarian protection rings hollow against the backdrop of destroyed homes, fractured communities, and lives uprooted time and again. The latest call to relocate underscores both the intensity of Israel’s military push and the profound human cost of a war that continues to devastate an already beleaguered population.