Israel calls for civilians to leave Gaza City as military amasses tanks
TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Israel's military on Friday called for all civilians of Gaza City, more than one million people, to relocate south within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks ahead of an expected ground invasion after a devastating attack by the militant group Hamas.
"Now is a time for war," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday as Israeli warplanes continued pounding Gaza in retaliation for the weekend attacks by Hamas militants that killed more than 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians.
The Israeli military said it would operate "significantly" in Gaza City in coming days and civilians should only return when advised. More than 1,570 Palestinians have already been killed in retaliatory attacks.
"Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields," the military said. "Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians."
A Hamas official urged citizens not to fall for what it called "fake propaganda". Its military wing later said that 13 among scores of people it captured from Israel had been killed in the latest Israeli air strikes.
The Palestinian envoy to Japan accused the Israelis of seeking to completely destroy Gaza while the United Nations said it considered it impossible for such a movement of people to take place "without devastating humanitarian consequences".
Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, described the UN response to Israel's early warning to the residents of Gaza as 'shameful'.
Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas militant group which led Saturday's attacks and said Hamas tunnels, military compounds, senior operatives' residences and weapons storage warehouses were among 750 military targets struck overnight.
A ground invasion of the narrow and densely populated Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people, poses serious risk, with Hamas threatening to kill its hostages. Hours after the Israeli evacuation call, there were no signs people were leaving Gaza City, where dozens gathered at the al-Shifa Hospital, vowing to stay put.
