IDF urges Gaza residents to head south

Amid its ongoing counter-offensive against Hamas, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has asked residents of the Northern Gaza Strip to relocate to the southern part of the enclave using evacuation corridors between 10 am to 4 pm (local time), The Times of Israel reported.

The Israeli military said, "If you care about yourself and your loved ones, go south as instructed." It further said, "Rest assured that Hamas leaders have taken care of themselves and are taking cover from strikes in the region."

The message indicated that the IDF could be readying to launch a ground invasion in response to Hamas's attack on October 7. The IDF has notified the United Nations that the entire Palestinian population north of Wadi Gaza should move to the southern strip, according to The Times of Israel report.

The Israeli Air Force has said that the IDF continues the effort to move the residents of the Gaza Strip in order to protect them in the Gaza Strip.

In a post on X, the Israeli Air Force stated, "During the last few days, the IDF called on the residents of Gaza City to evacuate their homes, in light of the military activity taking place in the area, as a response to the terrorist actions of Hamas."

It further said, "The call was sent out using a variety of different means in an attempt to minimize the harm to non-combatants. Hamas terrorists are hiding in terror tunnels located under the houses in Gaza City and in civilian buildings."

On Friday, the Israeli Defence Forces had called for the evacuation of Gaza. In a statement, the Israeli Defence Force stated, "The IDF calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza, as shown on the map.

The Israeli Air Force said that IDF has identified a trend of residents moving towards the south despite Hamas trying to stop them in order to use the people as a "human shield."

The IDF has confirmed that over 120 civilians are being held captive in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist organization. Israeli Defence Forces Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus on Saturday said 1300 people have lost their lives and over 3000 have been injured in the Hamas terror attacks on Israel.

The Israel Defence Forces said infantry forces and tanks entered the Gaza Strip on Friday in "localized raids" to clear the area of potential terrorists and locate missing citizens of Israel in a likely precursor to a full-scale incursion in response to Hamas's attack, The Times of Israel reported.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said armoured and infantry forces conducted searches and "thwarted anti-tank guided missile squads that intended to infiltrate into Israeli territory."

He said, "The forces located findings that may help in the effort to locate the missing." He added, "We will continue to make every effort to find every detail about the missing and hostages," according to The Times of Israel report.

On Friday, the terrorist group Hamas released a video showing its members holding young Israeli children and babies in a Kibbutz in southern Israel last weekend. The video showed terrorists taking a number of small children and infants out of homes in Kibbutz Holit, The Times of Israel report.

Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force has said that it has killed the head of Hamas's Air Force Murad Abu Murad in the airstrike carried out overnight. The strike targeted a headquarters from which Hamas managed its aerial activity in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Air Force said that Murad Abu Murad "was largely responsible for directing terrorists during the massacre on Saturday."

In a post on X, the Israeli Air Force stated, "Also, during the last day, fighter jets of the Air Force attacked the operational headquarters of the terrorist organization Hamas, from where the organization's aerial activities were managed. During the attack, Murad Abu Murad, the head of the air formation in Gaza City who took a large part and directed terrorists in the murderous attack on Saturday, was killed."