The Israeli army published a map showing safe zones for evacuating residents of besieged Gaza on Friday following the resumption of hostilities.
The statement linked to an Arabic-language Israeli army website with a map of evacuation zones. A video in Arabic was published on social media and the map itself is being distributed by the army in Gaza. The statement said:
“This divides the territory of the Gaza Strip into areas according to recognizable areas to enable the residents of Gaza to orient themselves and understand the instructions, and to evacuate from specific places for their safety if required.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in his third visit to the Middle East since the war began on 7 October, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that Israel’s campaign in southern Gaza must not replicate the massive civilian casualties and displacement seen during the offensive in the north. He added that he had laid out clear steps for Israel to minimise civilian casualties, but did not say whether he had confidence those steps would be taken.
The Israeli army resumed fighting against Hamas in Gaza on Friday, accusing the Palestinian militant group of firing rockets into Israel and reneging on a deal to release all women held hostage, violating a temporary truce agreement.
The 7-day truce exchanged dozens of hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and facilitated the flow of humanitarian aid into the coastal strip.
Much of Gaza, an enclave of 2.3 million people, was reduced to rubble by an Israeli offensive in retaliation for a Hamas attack on 7 October in which 1,200 people were killed and about 240 taken hostage, according to Israel. Gaza authorities say Israeli bombardment has killed more than 15,000 people in the Hamas-run enclave.
