Israel warns Gaza City

Tel Aviv (dpa) — Ahead of its planned capture of Gaza City, Israel has issued “initial warning calls” to medical authorities and international organizations to prepare for their evacuation to the south of the territory, the Israeli military said on Thursday.

The calls were placed on Tuesday and stated that “adjustments are being made to the hospital infrastructure in the south of the Strip to receive the sick and wounded,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on Telegram.

Aid organizations have warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is already on the brink of collapse after almost two years of war.

Earlier this month, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the capture of Gaza City and the relocation of the population to the south.

According to Israeli sources, people are to be moved to tent camps in southern Gaza for their own safety.

The IDF has stated that it intends to target Hamas in the largest city of the coastal strip.

Estimates suggest that around 1 million people are currently in the city.

The already dire situation for the civilian population could worsen further as a result of the offensive.

Many Palestinians fear a new wave of displacement, similar to what occurred during the war following Israel’s founding in 1948 and during the Six-Day War in 1967.

More than 60,000 Palestinians have died in the current conflict, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.