Israeli Offensive in Gaza Strip: All you need to know as Palestinians evacuate

livemint.com:

vowed to ‘crush’ Hamas this week after militants launched a surprise attack on October 7. Retaliatory air strikes have killed nearly 2,000 Palestinians over the past week and the death toll appears likely to rise in light of water and power cuts across the Gaza Strip. Speculative reports suggest that Israel will soon launch a ground assault across the 40 km long stretch – prompting alarm about the fate of blockaded civilians in one of the world's most densely populated regions.

Israel has called for more than one million Gaza residents to move south – using social media platforms and leaflets dropped from planes to highlight the risks. Officials also claimed that “hundreds of thousands" of Palestinians had already relocated after heeding the warning. Many view the instructions as the precursor to an imminent Israeli ground assault.

Israel has also expanded its mobilisation of reservists to 360,000 this week with thousands rushing back home in response to the call. Most reports quoting analysts agree that such an operation will take place in a matter of ‘hours or days’. While there is no clear timeline in place Israel has already amassed forces, tanks and other heavy armour around Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also said he has ordered a "complete siege" of the Gaza Strip. Earlier on Friday, Israeli Defence Force had called for the “evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection". The IDF told UN officials around midnight on Friday that the entire Palestinian population north of Wadi Gaza should relocate to southern Gaza within 24 hours.